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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: charge · board · row · season · lean · fan · race · bark

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. board — a committee
  3. bark — to shout
  4. row — a line
  5. charge — in control
  6. race — humankind
  7. charge — a price
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. race — a contest
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. race — the arms race
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. board — to get on
  17. row — to paddle
  18. lean — thin
  19. charge — electricity
  20. season — in sport
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. season — of the year
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. fan — a supporter

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