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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.

Make a worksheet

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: snap · wound · date · net · fan · present · leaves · file

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. present — the time now
  3. net — for catching
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. present — there
  6. file — a document
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. present — a gift
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. net — after costs
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. file — a line of people
  15. date — the fruit
  16. file — a tool
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. snap — to click
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. net — in sport

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