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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fan · wake · temple · pitcher · object · staff

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. staff — a stick
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. staff — employees
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. object — an aim
  10. staff — employees
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. object — a thing
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. wake — a trail
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. object — to protest
  18. pitcher — in baseball

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