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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 120 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
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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: season · wave · fan · board · stick · lean · sharp · rule

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. lean — thin
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. board — to get on
  7. season — in sport
  8. sharp — clever
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. rule — a law
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. board — a committee
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. season — of the year
  20. lean — to bend
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — of the sea

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