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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: foot · land · fan · leaves · mouse · content · straw · fine

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. land — a country
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. land — ground
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. foot — a measure
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. content — happy
  15. fine — high quality
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. fine — all right
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. land — to come down
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. content — the amount
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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