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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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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 · race · fan · last · suit · fall · chest · pit

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. chest — of your body
  3. last — finally
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. race — humankind
  7. board — to get on
  8. pit — a hole
  9. suit — clothes
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. last — to go on
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. last — final
  14. fall — to drop
  15. race — the arms race
  16. suit — to fit
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. board — a committee
  19. pit — in a race
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. race — a contest
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. suit — in cards

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