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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: mug · fan · jam · lash · kid · toast · chair · stand

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. mug — to rob
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. toast — bread
  8. kid — child
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. mug — a face
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. mug — a cup
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. kid — to tease
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. stand — to bear

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