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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: deal · board · mouse · fan · lean · cell · spell · leaves

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. board — to get on
  5. lean — to bend
  6. cell — in biology
  7. board — a committee
  8. spell — magic
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. spell — a short time
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. spell — letters
  16. lean — thin
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. cell — a phone
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — lets stay

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