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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 · foot · season · board · firm · object · leaves · cabinet

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — in sport
  4. firm — a company
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. board — to get on
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. foot — a measure
  14. firm — steady
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — to protest
  17. firm — decided
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. board — a committee
  21. object — a thing
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. leaves — to go away

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