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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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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. clip — a video
  3. staff — a stick
  4. bank — of a river
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mine — for digging
  7. staff — employees
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. chair — a leader
  13. clip — for paper
  14. bank — for money
  15. toast — bread
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. staff — employees
  19. clip — to cut
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bank — for money
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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