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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.

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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: rash · stand · fan · key · board · wave · spring · net

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. key — the most important part
  5. net — in sport
  6. board — to get on
  7. rash — a series
  8. key — for a lock
  9. spring — a coil
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — after costs
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. key — in music
  15. rash — hasty
  16. stand — to bear
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. board — a committee
  19. spring — the season
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. spring — of water
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. board — a flat piece

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