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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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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: fine · fan · race · wind · chip · hide · march · temple

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. chip — to eat
  3. march — music
  4. race — the arms race
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. wind — moving air
  8. fine — all right
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. race — a contest
  13. march — the month
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. race — humankind
  17. chip — for betting
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. march — the month
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. fine — high quality
  24. wind — moving 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