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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. file — a document
  3. tube — a container
  4. file — a tool
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — in music
  9. tube — the underground
  10. scale — size or range
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. file — a line of people
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cold — an illness
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cold — not warm
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cell — a phone

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