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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: chair · firm · leaves · foot · bear · tube · kid · fan

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. firm — a company
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. firm — steady
  7. bear — the animal
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. kid — to tease
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. tube — a container
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bear — the animal
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. chair — a leader
  18. firm — decided
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. tube — the underground
  21. kid — child
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. leaves — to go away

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