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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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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: kick · bear · ground · fan · chip · chair · fall · squash

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. fall — the season
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. squash — to crush
  7. kick — in football
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. squash — the sport
  10. fall — to drop
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. chip — to eat
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. fall — to drop
  17. ground — the earth
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — crushed

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