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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: fan · kick · hide · board · lean · coach · current · cabinet

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. lean — thin
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. board — a committee
  6. current — happening now
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. current — of water
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. kick — in football
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. board — to get on
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. lean — to bend
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. current — electric

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