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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. mug — to rob
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. chair — a leader
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a skill
  10. staff — a stick
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. scale — in music
  13. mug — a cup
  14. scale — size or range
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. staff — employees
  18. mug — a face
  19. staff — employees
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. plane — a tool

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