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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: mouse · fan · shower · prune · file · cold · safe · key

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. prune — to trim
  4. file — a document
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. cold — not warm
  9. file — a line of people
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. key — the most important part
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — to wash
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cold — an illness
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — in music
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. file — a tool
  24. fan — a supporter

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