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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: board · fan · leaves · spell · plane · row · foot · wind

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. wind — moving air
  3. row — a line
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. board — a committee
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. wind — moving air
  10. row — to paddle
  11. plane — a tool
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. spell — magic
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. spell — a short time
  20. board — to get on
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. spell — letters

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