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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. chair — a leader
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. march — music
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. march — the month
  11. march — the month
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. 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