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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. rash — a series
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. rash — hasty
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. kick — in football
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rule — government
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. capital — money
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — a law
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. capital — a city
  24. capital — a big letter

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