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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 · lie · game · wake · straw · drill · fall · fan

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. drill — the tool
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. wake — a trail
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. game — wild animals
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. foot — a measure
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. fall — the season
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. game — a match
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — a practice
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — to drop
  24. lie — an untruth

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