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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · bowl · fine · mine · fan · lean · can · foot

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. can — a tin
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. lean — thin
  8. can — a tin
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. can — to be able to
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. lean — to bend
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — a partner
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. fine — all right
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. mate — to breed
  24. foot — a measure

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com