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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
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: temple · track · land · file · foot · fine · present · fan

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. track — a path
  5. file — a document
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fine — all right
  10. track — a song
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. track — to keep track
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. present — the time now
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — ground
  17. present — there
  18. file — a tool
  19. present — a gift
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. land — a country
  22. fine — high quality
  23. file — a line of people
  24. fan — to cool the air

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