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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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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: row · fan · jam · safe · fall · bat · foot · rest

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  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. row — a line
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fall — to drop
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bat — the animal
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. row — to paddle
  18. rest — a break
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. safe — a strongbox
  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