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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: season · fan · plane · squash · fall · rush · board · rest

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rest — what's left
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. season — in sport
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. fall — to drop
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. plane — a tool
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. board — to get on
  17. season — of the year
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. squash — the sport
  20. fall — the season
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rest — a break
  24. board — a committee

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