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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chest — a box
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pass — a permit
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — to grow
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. branch — a division
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chair — a leader

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