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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · fan · chair · foot · cabinet · charge

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. charge — electricity
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. foot — a measure
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bear — the animal
  11. charge — a price
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. charge — in control
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air

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