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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 116 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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. march — the month
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. board — a committee
  6. fork — in a road
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. board — to get on
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fall — the season
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. fall — to drop
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. fall — to drop
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

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