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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.

Make a worksheet

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: leaves · hide · court · toast · fan · board · content · plane

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. court — of a king
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. court — of law
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. plane — a tool
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. board — to get on
  18. toast — bread
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. court — for sport
  21. content — the amount
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. board — a committee
  24. fan — to cool the air

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