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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: patient · bowl · file · fan · prune · lean · board · rash

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. file — a line of people
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. rash — a series
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. lean — to bend
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. file — a tool
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. prune — to trim
  16. board — a committee
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. prune — to trim
  20. file — a document
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rash — hasty
  23. board — to get on
  24. bowl — a football final

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