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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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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: fan · present · rule · tube · chair · roll · bay · stick

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  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. fan — to cool the air
  2. roll — a cake
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. roll — a list
  6. present — the time now
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. tube — the underground
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. rule — government
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rule — a law
  17. tube — a container
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. present — there
  21. present — a gift
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. tube — in a tire
  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