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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: track · rash · rock · board · deal · wind · stem · fan

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. track — a path
  3. wind — moving air
  4. board — a committee
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. deal — to handle
  9. track — to keep track
  10. wind — moving air
  11. track — a song
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. board — to get on
  18. rash — hasty
  19. stem — to come from
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rash — a series
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. rock — music
  24. stem — a stem cell

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