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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: fan · cap · date · file · straw · present · nail · firm

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. file — a line of people
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. file — a tool
  5. firm — steady
  6. cap — a hat
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. present — the time now
  9. cap — of ice
  10. firm — decided
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. present — there
  14. date — the fruit
  15. firm — a company
  16. file — a document
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. present — a gift
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. cap — a lid
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. fan — to cool the air

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