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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bear — the animal
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lie — to recline
  17. root — of a word
  18. bear — the animal
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. root — of a plant
  21. plane — a tool
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. root — the cause
  24. lie — an untruth

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