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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 120 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
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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: season · board · fan · rest · present · rush · squash · fork

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. present — there
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. rest — what's left
  8. season — of the year
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. squash — to crush
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. rest — what's left
  20. board — to get on
  21. rest — a break
  22. squash — the sport
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — a gift

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