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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
468
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: lie · fan · mine · board · fork · firm · game · bear

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. firm — steady
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. game — wild animals
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. lie — to recline
  14. firm — decided
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bear — the animal
  18. board — to get on
  19. fork — in a road
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. board — a committee
  22. mine — for digging
  23. firm — a company
  24. game — a match

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