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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 · rock · cell · charge · fan · dip · present · roll

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. roll — a cake
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. present — the time now
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. chair — a leader
  11. rock — music
  12. roll — a list
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. charge — electricity
  16. cell — a phone
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — there
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — a price
  23. cell — in biology
  24. dip — to sink

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