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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: hide · track · file · fall · saw · mouse · chip · bulb

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bulb — for light
  3. chip — for betting
  4. file — a document
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. track — to keep track
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. fall — to drop
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. track — a path
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. chip — to eat
  15. file — a tool
  16. bulb — for light
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. file — a line of people
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. track — a song
  24. fall — the season

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