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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.

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: wave · file · fall · fan · net · row · leaves · track

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. track — a song
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. net — after costs
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. row — a line
  8. fall — the season
  9. net — for catching
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a line of people
  12. row — to paddle
  13. track — to keep track
  14. file — a tool
  15. net — in sport
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fall — to drop
  24. leaves — lets stay

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