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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.

Make a worksheet

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: can · fan · roll · saw · stick · row · chest · stand

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stand — to bear
  4. row — to paddle
  5. can — a tin
  6. chest — a box
  7. chest — of your body
  8. can — a tin
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. roll — a list
  17. chest — of your body
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. roll — a cake
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. row — a line
  23. can — to be able to
  24. saw — the tool

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