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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.

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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: file · saw · bat · clip · bass · fan · safe · wave

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bat — the animal
  6. clip — a video
  7. saw — the tool
  8. file — a document
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — the fish
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. file — a tool
  14. clip — to cut
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bass — low music
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. clip — for paper
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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