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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: wake · leaves · fall · board · fan · rest · ground · lean

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. ground — a position
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. rest — what's left
  9. lean — thin
  10. ground — crushed
  11. lean — to bend
  12. board — a committee
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. rest — a break
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. fall — to drop
  21. ground — the earth
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. rest — what's left
  24. fall — the season

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