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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. firm — steady
  6. firm — a company
  7. spell — a short time
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. chip — for betting
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. chip — to eat
  13. snap — to click
  14. land — a country
  15. land — ground
  16. spell — letters
  17. firm — decided
  18. land — to come down
  19. capital — a city
  20. spell — magic
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. capital — money

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