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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. chair — a leader
  7. rule — government
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. pop — soda
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. bear — the animal
  15. swing — to play on
  16. pop — music
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. rule — a law
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. pop — to visit
  24. trunk — of a car

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