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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 · foot · hide · chair · patient · can · jam · track

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. track — a path
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. chair — a leader
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. track — to keep track
  9. can — a tin
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. track — a song
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. can — a tin
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. foot — a measure
  23. can — to be able to
  24. jam — in traffic

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