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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: fan · board · sharp · arm · pop · rash · staff · rush

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. rash — hasty
  3. pop — music
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. board — a committee
  8. staff — employees
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. board — to get on
  11. pop — to visit
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. rash — a series
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. sharp — clever
  24. arm — a part of something

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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