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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. board — a committee
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. spring — of water
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. kick — in football
  10. land — to come down
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. land — a country
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. spring — the season
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. spring — a coil
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. board — to get on
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. land — ground
  24. fan — to cool the air

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