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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.

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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: mate · fan · season · staff · bowl · fall · rest · rush

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. fall — the season
  3. rest — what's left
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. staff — employees
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. mate — to breed
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. fall — to drop
  11. rest — what's left
  12. season — in sport
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rest — a break
  17. staff — employees
  18. mate — a partner
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rush — hurry
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. mate — a friend

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