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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. season — in sport
  4. pop — soda
  5. bank — for money
  6. season — of the year
  7. pop — to visit
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bank — of a river
  13. kid — child
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. fall — the season
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. kid — to tease
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. board — to get on
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. pop — music
  22. board — a committee
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bank — for money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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