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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. date — the fruit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. chair — a leader
  14. sharp — clever
  15. object — to protest
  16. stem — to come from
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — a thing
  24. chair — a professorship

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