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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.

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
468
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 · season · calf · dip · rest · rule · chair · tube

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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. fan — to cool the air
  4. rule — government
  5. tube — the underground
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to sink
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rule — a law
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rest — what's left
  15. season — of the year
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. season — in sport
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. tube — a container
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. chair — a leader
  24. fan — a supporter

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