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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: file · fan · chip · temple · drill · calf · stock · deal

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. file — a tool
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. drill — army training
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — to handle
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — shares
  15. chip — to eat
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a document
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. drill — a practice
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. temple — a place of worship

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