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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: file · tear · last · suit · mate · fan · charge · drill

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. drill — army training
  3. charge — electricity
  4. mate — a partner
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. file — a line of people
  7. tear — from crying
  8. mate — to breed
  9. last — to go on
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mate — a friend
  12. last — final
  13. file — a tool
  14. last — finally
  15. suit — in cards
  16. tear — from crying
  17. drill — a practice
  18. charge — a price
  19. suit — clothes
  20. tear — to rip
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. charge — in control
  23. file — a document
  24. drill — the tool

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