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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 120 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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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. board — to get on
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. hand — help
  7. drill — the tool
  8. stand — to bear
  9. court — of a king
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. court — of law
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. board — a committee
  14. drill — a practice
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. court — for sport
  17. hand — in cards
  18. drill — army training
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. board — a flat piece

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