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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: drill · mouse · rest · lie · tube · fan · root · file

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. drill — the tool
  5. drill — a practice
  6. root — of a plant
  7. tube — the underground
  8. root — the cause
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. drill — army training
  14. rest — what's left
  15. lie — to recline
  16. rest — a break
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. file — a line of people
  20. root — of a word
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a tool
  24. tube — a container

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