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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: fan · file · lie · track · saw · cabinet · wave · fine

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. track — a path
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. file — a tool
  10. lie — to recline
  11. saw — the tool
  12. track — to keep track
  13. file — a document
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. file — a line of people
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. track — a song
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — high quality
  24. cabinet — ministers

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