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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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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: lean · bat · sharp · mouse · file · fan · suit · land

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  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. file — a line of people
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. suit — clothes
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. lean — thin
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a tool
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. suit — to fit
  12. land — to come down
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. suit — in cards
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. land — a country
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bat — the animal
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. land — ground
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. lean — to bend
  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