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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: rush · mate · chair · calf · fan · tear · board · game

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. board — to get on
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. tear — from crying
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. game — wild animals
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. tear — from crying
  12. mate — a partner
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mate — to breed
  15. board — a committee
  16. tear — to rip
  17. mate — a friend
  18. chair — a leader
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rush — hurry
  24. game — a match

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