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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 112 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. present — the time now
  5. firm — steady
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. present — a gift
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. firm — a company
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cell — a phone
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. tube — a container
  16. firm — decided
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. chair — a leader
  21. cold — not warm
  22. present — there
  23. cold — an illness
  24. tube — the underground

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