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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.

Words on the sheet
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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. saw — the tool
  3. chip — to eat
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wind — moving air
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. chip — for betting
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. spell — letters
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. key — the most important part
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — a short time
  22. key — in music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. mine — for digging

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