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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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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — hasty
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. season — of the year
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bore — to drill
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. toast — bread
  17. rest — a break
  18. bore — to tire
  19. season — in sport
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. board — to get on
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. board — a committee
  24. rash — a series

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