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

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. roll — a cake
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a cup
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. pass — a permit
  7. rush — hurry
  8. roll — a list
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. mug — a face
  14. chair — a leader
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — help
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. toast — bread
  24. hand — part of the body

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