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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. saw — the tool
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a document
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — to rob
  11. tube — a container
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — of water
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bass — low music
  17. spring — the season
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. file — a tool
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bass — the fish

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