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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: rash · file · face · trunk · chip · deal · roll · fan

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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. face — to confront
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a line of people
  6. rash — hasty
  7. roll — a cake
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. chip — for betting
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. face — to point toward
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a list
  21. file — a document
  22. rash — a series
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. face — part of the head

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