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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
468
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 · present · fall · hand · dip · cap · fan · drill

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. foot — a measure
  4. hand — help
  5. fall — to drop
  6. drill — army training
  7. present — there
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. hand — in cards
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. present — the time now
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a lid
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cap — a hat
  17. dip — to sink
  18. present — a gift
  19. drill — a practice
  20. fall — the season
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. drill — the tool
  24. hand — part of the body

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