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

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. branch — a division
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. squash — to crush
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — the underground
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. file — a tool
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. file — a document
  12. ball — a great time
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. squash — the sport
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. file — a line of people

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