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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: track · bear · craft · saw · face · file · fine · fan

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bear — the animal
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. track — a song
  5. track — a path
  6. track — to keep track
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fine — high quality
  11. file — a tool
  12. face — part of the head
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fine — all right
  18. face — to point toward
  19. craft — boats
  20. face — to confront
  21. file — a line of people
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. craft — a skill

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