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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. key — for a lock
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. lean — thin
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. lean — to bend
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. row — a line
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. key — in music
  17. board — to get on
  18. key — the most important part
  19. stand — to bear
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. board — a committee
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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