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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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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 · spring · kick · board · shower · fall · toast · bay

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  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. fall — the season
  2. shower — rain
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fall — to drop
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. board — a committee
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. kick — in football
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. fall — to drop
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — to get on
  17. spring — the season
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. shower — to wash
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. spring — of water
  22. toast — bread
  23. spring — a coil
  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