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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: rush · fan · rule · board · bay · squash · leaves · chest

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. chest — of your body
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. board — to get on
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rule — government
  10. board — a committee
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rule — a law
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. rush — hurry
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. squash — the sport
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. squash — to crush

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