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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: rush · leaves · board · hand · saw · suit · kick · march

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. suit — clothes
  5. saw — the tool
  6. march — the month
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. board — a committee
  10. hand — in cards
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. hand — help
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — to fit
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. march — the month
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. board — to get on
  21. kick — in football
  22. march — music
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. board — a flat piece

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