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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 120 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  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. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mug — to rob
  6. drill — army training
  7. root — of a plant
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mug — a cup
  10. root — the cause
  11. chair — a leader
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. root — of a word
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. drill — the tool
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. mate — a partner
  21. drill — a practice
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. mug — a face
  24. mate — to breed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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