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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.

Make a worksheet

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: capital · row · mine · present · mouse · file · rock · nail

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  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. file — a tool
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. present — the time now
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. capital — money
  9. row — a line
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. present — a gift
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. row — to paddle
  14. capital — a city
  15. file — a document
  16. mine — for digging
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. rock — a stone
  20. file — a line of people
  21. present — there
  22. rock — music
  23. mine — an explosive
  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