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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 · row · toast · face · mate · sharp · fan · club

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a friend
  3. file — a tool
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. sharp — clever
  7. toast — bread
  8. file — a line of people
  9. mate — a partner
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — to point toward
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. row — to paddle
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. club — for dancing
  17. club — a group
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. row — a line
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. club — for golf
  22. file — a document
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. fan — a supporter

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