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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: stick · mouse · file · spell · tube · net · can · rush

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. spell — magic
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. rush — hurry
  5. tube — the underground
  6. net — after costs
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. tube — a container
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. spell — letters
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. can — a tin
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. file — a line of people
  18. spell — a short time
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. net — in sport
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a tool
  24. mouse — the animal

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