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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — a friend
  7. board — a committee
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mate — to breed
  11. shower — to wash
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — to get on
  14. kid — child
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. shower — rain
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. kid — to tease

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