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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
468
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: mate · chair · can · plane · file · mouse · straw · drill

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mate — a friend
  5. file — a tool
  6. chair — a leader
  7. can — a tin
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. plane — a tool
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a document
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mate — to breed
  19. can — to be able to
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — the tool
  22. can — a tin
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. drill — army training

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