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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: key · fan · leaves · roll · stick · rule · board · rash

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. board — a committee
  3. roll — a cake
  4. rule — a law
  5. board — to get on
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rash — a series
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. key — in music
  16. roll — a list
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. key — the most important part
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rule — government
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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