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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. band — a music group
  3. mark — a grade
  4. scale — in music
  5. row — a line
  6. scale — size or range
  7. lie — to recline
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. band — a ring
  10. root — of a word
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. row — to paddle
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. chair — a leader
  20. root — the cause
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. root — of a plant
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — to pay attention

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