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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fork — in a road
  3. tear — from crying
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a line of people
  6. tear — to rip
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — of a word
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. fine — high quality
  13. pass — a permit
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fine — all right
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. file — a tool
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. root — the cause
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. tear — from crying

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