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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. chair — a leader
  3. mate — a partner
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. rash — a series
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. kid — child
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mug — a face
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. mug — to rob
  15. chip — to eat
  16. rash — hasty
  17. chip — for betting
  18. last — finally
  19. kid — to tease
  20. last — to go on
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. last — final
  24. mate — to breed

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