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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 116 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: perch · fall · squash · board · fan · mug · nail · mine

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. board — to get on
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. mine — for digging
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mug — to rob
  15. squash — the sport
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fall — the season
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — a cup
  21. fall — to drop
  22. squash — to crush
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mine — belonging to me

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