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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: rush · nail · tube · fine · cell · spring · date · mouse

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. rush — hurry
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — of water
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fine — high quality
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cell — in biology
  13. tube — a container
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — the fruit
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. spring — a coil
  20. cell — a phone
  21. tube — the underground
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. fine — all right

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