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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: net · fan · leaves · land · board · can · season · lie

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. land — a country
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. can — a tin
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. board — to get on
  8. land — to come down
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. can — a tin
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. land — ground
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — for catching
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. season — in sport
  19. can — to be able to
  20. board — a committee
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. season — of the year
  24. lie — to recline

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