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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · bear · wind · file · bowl · mouse · bark · bore

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. file — a document
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wind — moving air
  9. file — a tool
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bear — the animal
  12. file — a line of people
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bore — to drill
  24. mouse — the animal

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