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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. rule — a law
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. board — a committee
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. rule — government
  7. swing — in golf
  8. suit — clothes
  9. pass — a permit
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. march — the month
  13. suit — in cards
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. march — music
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. swing — music
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. march — the month
  20. suit — to fit
  21. board — to get on
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. swing — to play on

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