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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: board · kick · row · mouse · fan · leaves · rock · tube

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. kick — in football
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. rock — music
  9. board — a committee
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — to get on
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. row — a line
  15. tube — the underground
  16. rock — a stone
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. tube — a container
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. row — to paddle
  24. leaves — of a tree

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