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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: fan · bank · staff · fine · stock · temple · lean · file

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bank — for money
  3. lean — thin
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. staff — a stick
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bank — for money
  12. file — a line of people
  13. staff — employees
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bank — of a river
  17. file — a document
  18. staff — employees
  19. file — a tool
  20. stock — goods
  21. fine — all right
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. stock — shares
  24. fan — a supporter

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