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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.

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: fan · track · cell · safe · rash · spring · board · ground

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. board — a committee
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a song
  9. spring — of water
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. spring — a coil
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. rash — a series
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cell — a phone
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — crushed
  19. track — a path
  20. spring — the season
  21. ground — a position
  22. board — to get on
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rash — hasty

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