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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: date · suit · bat · fan · foot · rest · file · fall

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. file — a tool
  5. foot — a measure
  6. fall — to drop
  7. file — a line of people
  8. date — the fruit
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. suit — in cards
  11. fall — the season
  12. rest — what's left
  13. suit — clothes
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. rest — a break
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. suit — to fit
  23. file — a document
  24. fall — to drop

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