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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: hide · face · suit · fan · stem · can · last · straw

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stem — to come from
  4. can — a tin
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — final
  10. suit — clothes
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. suit — in cards
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. suit — to fit
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. can — a tin
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — part of the head
  20. can — to be able to
  21. face — to confront
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. last — finally

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