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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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468
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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. rest — a break
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. stem — to come from
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. board — to get on
  14. kid — to tease
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. board — a committee
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. chair — a leader
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. rest — what's left
  23. kid — child
  24. fan — to cool the air

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