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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: board · bank · coach · fan · last · rule · wave · nail

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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. coach — pulled by horses
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — government
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bank — for money
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. last — to go on
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. board — to get on
  14. last — finally
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. board — a committee
  17. last — final
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bank — of a river
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bank — for money
  24. coach — a trainer

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