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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 120 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. chair — a leader
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — to sink
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. root — the cause
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. root — of a plant
  21. stand — to bear
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. root — of a word

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