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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. file — a line of people
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. cap — a lid
  7. current — of water
  8. file — a tool
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. fall — to drop
  11. cap — of ice
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. hand — in cards
  14. branch — a division
  15. file — a document
  16. current — electric
  17. saw — the tool
  18. hand — help
  19. fall — to drop
  20. current — happening now
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. saw — the tool
  23. cap — a hat
  24. fan — a supporter

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