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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: tear · object · craft · leaves · rest · fan · chip · staff

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. chip — to eat
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. chip — for betting
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rest — what's left
  8. craft — boats
  9. rest — a break
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. staff — employees
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — from crying
  15. object — an aim
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. craft — a skill
  18. rest — what's left
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. tear — to rip
  21. staff — employees
  22. object — to protest
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. object — a thing

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