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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: cabinet · fan · present · dip · face · chair · trunk · roll

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. dip — to sink
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — to point toward
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a leader
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. present — there
  10. face — part of the head
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. roll — a cake
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. present — a gift
  22. roll — a list
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. present — the time now

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