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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: lie · foot · deal · game · bear · row · file · mouse

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. foot — a measure
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — a match
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. file — a line of people
  12. deal — to handle
  13. row — to paddle
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. row — a line
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. file — a document
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bear — the animal
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. row — a quarrel

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