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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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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: chip · mark · tear · stock · drill · hide · fan · staff

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mark — a trace
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. drill — a practice
  7. tear — from crying
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. chip — for betting
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. staff — employees
  12. stock — goods
  13. tear — to rip
  14. drill — army training
  15. stock — shares
  16. tear — from crying
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. staff — a stick
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. mark — a grade
  22. drill — the tool
  23. chip — to eat
  24. staff — employees

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