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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. object — an aim
  7. dip — to sink
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cell — in biology
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. spring — the season
  14. object — to protest
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. spring — a coil
  17. rest — what's left
  18. object — a thing
  19. chair — a leader
  20. rest — a break
  21. spring — of water
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. rest — what's left
  24. dip — a sauce

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