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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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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: fall · file · bay · snap · fan · mate · chip · bat

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. file — a document
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fall — the season
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. mate — a partner
  9. file — a tool
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. mate — to breed
  12. chip — for betting
  13. fall — to drop
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. chip — to eat
  17. fall — to drop
  18. snap — to click
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. fan — a supporter

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