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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. tube — a container
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. tube — the underground
  5. content — happy
  6. content — the amount
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. chair — a leader
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. content — videos and posts

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