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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: fan · board · mine · pop · wake · suit · bear · leaves

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. suit — in cards
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bear — the animal
  8. suit — clothes
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. pop — to visit
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a committee
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. pop — music
  18. suit — to fit
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. pop — soda
  22. wake — a trail
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bear — the animal

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