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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 120 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: fall · bound · fine · lean · fan · cabinet · cell · arm

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bound — certain
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fine — all right
  8. bound — obliged
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. bound — tied together
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. fine — high quality
  23. cell — in biology
  24. lean — to rest against

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