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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: board · fan · season · nail · charge · bay · rush · band

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. charge — in control
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. board — to get on
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. season — in sport
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. board — a committee
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. band — a music group
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. band — a ring
  24. nail — for a hammer

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