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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: fan · foot · ruler · march · leaves · mug · date · land

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. land — ground
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. foot — a measure
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. march — music
  12. date — the fruit
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. mug — to rob
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. march — the month
  19. mug — a face
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. mug — a cup
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. march — the month
  24. land — a country

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