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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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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. ground — the earth
  3. stock — shares
  4. tear — from crying
  5. file — a document
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. tear — to rip
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. chip — for betting
  11. ground — a position
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. tear — from crying
  14. chip — to eat
  15. file — a line of people
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. roll — a list
  18. file — a tool
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. ground — crushed
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. roll — a cake
  24. temple — a place of worship

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