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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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Word bank
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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. hand — help
  6. row — a line
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. row — to paddle
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — a committee
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. hand — in cards
  18. saw — the tool
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. board — to get on
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. date — the fruit
  24. row — a quarrel

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