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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: cold · fan · dip · file · roll · trunk · fine · pit

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. file — a document
  5. dip — to sink
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. file — a line of people
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. cold — an illness
  10. file — a tool
  11. roll — a cake
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. roll — a list
  17. cold — not warm
  18. fine — high quality
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. fine — all right
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. pit — a hole
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. roll — on a roll

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