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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. object — an aim
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. stand — to bear
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. object — to protest
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. deal — to handle
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. rule — a law
  17. object — a thing
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rule — government

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