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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — to get on
  4. file — a tool
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — a contest
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. race — humankind
  17. file — a line of people
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. season — of the year
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bear — the animal
  23. file — a document
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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