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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. file — a document
  4. bat — the animal
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. saw — the tool
  7. file — a tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — a thing
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. file — a line of people
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. object — to protest

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