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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: lean · staff · temple · file · kid · cap · stock · fan

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. file — a line of people
  4. cap — a hat
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cap — a lid
  9. staff — employees
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. kid — to tease
  12. staff — a stick
  13. file — a document
  14. cap — of ice
  15. lean — to bend
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. staff — employees
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — shares
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stock — goods
  22. lean — thin
  23. kid — child
  24. file — a tool

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