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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 · craft · last · mate · bat · club · fan · hide

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. last — to go on
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mate — a partner
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mate — to breed
  8. craft — a skill
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a tool
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. club — for dancing
  14. file — a document
  15. club — a group
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. last — finally
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. last — final
  22. club — for golf
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bat — the animal

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