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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 116 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: fall · stick · hide · sharp · rush · fan · board · plane

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fall — to drop
  9. board — to get on
  10. fall — the season
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. board — a committee
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. fall — to drop
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. sharp — with an edge

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