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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — goods
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. toast — bread
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. chair — a leader
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stock — shares
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. branch — a division
  24. wave — of the sea

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