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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: land · fork · fan · saw · mouse · arm · rest · suit

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. mouse — for a computer
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. fork — in a road
  6. suit — in cards
  7. rest — a break
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. land — a country
  10. rest — what's left
  11. suit — clothes
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. suit — to fit
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. land — to come down
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. land — ground
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. mouse — the animal
  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