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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: jam · wave · mouse · file · land · staff · mug · bat

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bat — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. file — a line of people
  8. staff — employees
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. mug — a face
  11. file — a document
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. land — ground
  15. land — a country
  16. staff — employees
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mug — a cup
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. file — a tool
  22. staff — a stick
  23. land — to come down
  24. mug — to rob

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