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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: straw · rash · temple · fan · leaves · file · board · tube

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. board — to get on
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. file — a document
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. rash — hasty
  10. board — a committee
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. file — a tool
  13. tube — a container
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. tube — the underground
  16. rash — a series
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. file — a line of people
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. leaves — of a tree

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