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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. deal — to handle
  3. swing — to play on
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — a partner
  9. toast — bread
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. board — a committee
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. board — to get on
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — in cards
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. swing — music
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. mate — to breed
  24. swing — in golf

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