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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.

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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: fan · kid · foot · season · wound · cabinet · can · pass

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. kid — to tease
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wound — an injury
  12. can — a tin
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. can — to be able to
  16. season — in sport
  17. kid — child
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. can — a tin
  20. wound — an injury
  21. season — of the year
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pass — a permit

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