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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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. cap — of ice
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. last — finally
  6. last — to go on
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. cap — a lid
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chair — a leader
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. stem — to come from
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. cap — a hat
  22. last — final
  23. chip — for betting
  24. fan — a supporter

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