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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: mine · toast · fan · stand · ruler · lean · net · land

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. land — a country
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — for catching
  7. land — ground
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — for digging
  13. lean — thin
  14. net — in sport
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. lean — to bend
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. land — to come down
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. toast — bread
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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