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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. spell — a short time
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. degree — from a university
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. spell — magic
  10. firm — steady
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. hand — in cards
  13. firm — decided
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. spell — letters
  16. hand — help
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. firm — a company
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. degree — temperature
  23. chair — a leader
  24. degree — an amount

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