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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: fan · board · mate · bulb · chest · wake · stand · date

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. date — the fruit
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — to get on
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mate — a partner
  12. wake — a trail
  13. chest — of your body
  14. stand — to bear
  15. chest — a box
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. chest — of your body
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. mate — to breed
  24. board — a committee

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