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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: craft · track · temple · fan · chip · fall · wax · ground

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. track — to keep track
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. craft — boats
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. track — a path
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — for betting
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. fall — to drop
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. ground — a position
  16. fall — to drop
  17. track — a song
  18. ground — crushed
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. fall — the season
  21. wax — to grow
  22. craft — a skill
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. ground — the earth

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