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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.

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: fan · bass · ground · kick · present · last · bay · file

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  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. last — to go on
  2. file — a document
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. present — there
  5. kick — in football
  6. ground — crushed
  7. last — final
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. last — finally
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bass — the fish
  13. present — the time now
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bass — low music
  18. ground — a position
  19. file — a tool
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. file — a line of people
  23. present — a gift
  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