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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. root — the cause
  3. face — part of the head
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. charge — electricity
  7. craft — a skill
  8. charge — in control
  9. chair — a leader
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. face — to confront
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. last — final
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. root — of a plant
  18. root — of a word
  19. last — to go on
  20. face — to point toward
  21. last — finally
  22. craft — boats
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. charge — a price

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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