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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 116 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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rash — a series
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. spell — magic
  5. band — a ring
  6. board — a committee
  7. spell — a short time
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. spell — letters
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. board — to get on
  18. lean — to bend
  19. band — a music group
  20. rash — hasty
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. lean — thin

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