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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: tube · can · wake · sharp · mouse · key · fan · rule

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. tube — a container
  4. rule — a law
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wake — a trail
  7. tube — the underground
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. sharp — clever
  12. key — the most important part
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. rule — government
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. key — for a lock
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. key — in music
  24. can — a tin

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