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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: tear · toast · last · bank · chip · saw · fan · deal

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bank — for money
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. tear — from crying
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. last — to go on
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. saw — the tool
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — to eat
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bank — for money
  14. saw — the tool
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. deal — to handle
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. toast — bread
  20. last — finally
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. last — final
  23. bank — of a river
  24. tear — to rip

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