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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: drill · leaves · toast · staff · firm · board · kid · fan

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — a stick
  4. kid — child
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. board — to get on
  7. staff — employees
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. firm — decided
  10. drill — a practice
  11. firm — steady
  12. board — a committee
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. drill — the tool
  16. firm — a company
  17. drill — army training
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. toast — bread
  22. kid — to tease
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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