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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. roll — a list
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. hand — in cards
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. hand — help
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. fall — the season
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. fall — to drop
  20. chip — to eat
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chair — a leader

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