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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. board — a committee
  3. object — a thing
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a music group
  6. spell — letters
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. present — there
  9. board — to get on
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. present — a gift
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. rush — hurry
  16. spell — a short time
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. present — the time now
  22. object — an aim
  23. spell — magic
  24. object — to protest

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