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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
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: chair · deal · calf · coach · fan · file · toast · ground

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. toast — bread
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. file — a tool
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. ground — crushed
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. file — a line of people
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. file — a document
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — a position
  22. chair — a leader
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. toast — the most admired

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