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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: rock · present · fan · leaves · fine · chair · drill · trunk

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fine — high quality
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. present — there
  8. rock — music
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. present — the time now
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. rock — a stone
  14. drill — army training
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. drill — a practice
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. fine — all right
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. drill — the tool
  22. present — a gift
  23. chair — a leader
  24. trunk — of a tree

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