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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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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. file — a document
  4. squash — to crush
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. file — a tool
  7. degree — an amount
  8. object — an aim
  9. charge — in control
  10. degree — temperature
  11. degree — from a university
  12. object — a thing
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. charge — electricity
  15. squash — the sport
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. object — to protest
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. prune — to trim
  20. charge — a price
  21. prune — to trim
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. file — a line of people
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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