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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. track — a song
  3. track — a path
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. chair — a leader
  7. track — to keep track
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — a weight
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. hide — to keep secret

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