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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 120 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: pass · bear · stem · current · chip · fan · wind · file

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. current — electric
  3. file — a tool
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. file — a document
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. current — happening now
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. current — of water
  17. chip — for betting
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stem — to come from
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. file — a line of people
  24. pass — to spend time

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