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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.

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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: date · mug · board · row · leaves · fan · rush · swing

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. mug — a cup
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. mug — to rob
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. swing — to play on
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. date — the fruit
  11. mug — a face
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. board — a committee
  17. row — a line
  18. rush — hurry
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — music
  22. row — to paddle
  23. board — to get on
  24. fan — a supporter

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