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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: cabinet · can · lean · fan · bay · hand · toast · mate

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. hand — in cards
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. mate — a friend
  7. can — a tin
  8. lean — to bend
  9. hand — help
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. mate — to breed
  14. toast — bread
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. can — a tin
  17. lean — thin
  18. mate — a partner
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. can — to be able to
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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