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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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. lean — to rest against
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rock — music
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. lean — to bend
  12. rock — a stone
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. chair — a leader
  16. rash — hasty
  17. lean — thin
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rock — to move gently

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