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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. kick — in football
  5. board — a committee
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. mark — a grade
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. rush — hurry
  15. board — to get on
  16. tear — from crying
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. tear — to rip
  19. suit — clothes
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. mark — a trace
  22. suit — to fit
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. tear — from crying

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