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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 120 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: mine · fan · file · fine · craft · saw · mouse · staff

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. craft — a skill
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. file — a document
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. craft — boats
  11. mine — for digging
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — high quality
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. staff — a stick
  17. saw — the tool
  18. file — a tool
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. staff — employees
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. staff — employees

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