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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 124 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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. perch — the fish
  10. chip — to eat
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. dip — to sink
  14. chair — a leader
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — a division
  24. chip — for betting

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