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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: plane · press · file · net · sharp · mate · stock · fan

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. file — a document
  3. sharp — clever
  4. mate — a friend
  5. net — in sport
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mate — to breed
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stock — shares
  10. press — a publisher
  11. stock — goods
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. mate — a partner
  14. file — a tool
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. press — to push
  18. press — newspapers
  19. file — a line of people
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. net — for catching
  22. plane — a tool
  23. net — after costs
  24. plane — in geometry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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