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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.

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: fan · chair · arm · sharp · toast · cabinet · tube · pop

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. pop — soda
  6. tube — the underground
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. tube — a container
  9. toast — bread
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. chair — a leader
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pop — music
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pop — to visit
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — clever
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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