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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: leaves · board · rush · hide · mate · chip · drill · fan

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. rush — hurry
  6. chip — for betting
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. mate — a friend
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. board — to get on
  11. chip — to eat
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. drill — army training
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — a practice
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. board — a committee
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — to breed

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