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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. object — an aim
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. object — to protest
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. land — to come down
  15. object — a thing
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. land — a country
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. land — ground
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — moving air
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stem — to come from
  24. chair — a leader

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