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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. last — final
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. track — a song
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. last — to go on
  8. lean — thin
  9. track — to keep track
  10. saw — the tool
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. board — a committee
  15. saw — the tool
  16. track — a path
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. board — to get on
  21. bank — for money
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. lean — to bend
  24. last — finally

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