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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: can · trunk · mouse · game · rule · file · spell · fine

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. game — a match
  6. spell — magic
  7. fine — all right
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. file — a line of people
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. can — a tin
  12. rule — government
  13. game — wild animals
  14. file — a tool
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. can — a tin
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. file — a document
  19. can — to be able to
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — letters

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