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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 116 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
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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: fan · chair · march · stick · lash · key · present · track

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. key — in music
  3. present — the time now
  4. march — music
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. track — a path
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. key — the most important part
  17. track — to keep track
  18. key — for a lock
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — there
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. track — a song
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. chair — a leader

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