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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 116 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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stand — to bear
  3. snap — to click
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chip — for betting
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — to protest
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. object — a thing
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. chip — to eat
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. tube — in a tire

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