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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bank — for money
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. tube — a container
  5. file — a document
  6. lean — to bend
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bank — for money
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — decided
  13. file — a tool
  14. bank — of a river
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. lean — thin
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. file — a line of people
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — help
  22. firm — a company
  23. rest — what's left
  24. tube — the underground

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