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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 · straw · fork · row · bowl · lean · object · cap

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. lean — to bend
  4. object — a thing
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. cap — a lid
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. row — a line
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. cap — of ice
  15. lean — thin
  16. cap — a hat
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. fork — in a road
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. object — to protest
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. row — to paddle
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. fan — a supporter

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