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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 120 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
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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: row · tube · clip · can · file · mouse · fan · coach

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. can — to be able to
  3. tube — the underground
  4. clip — a video
  5. can — a tin
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. row — to paddle
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. tube — a container
  14. file — a tool
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. can — a tin
  17. row — a line
  18. file — a document
  19. file — a line of people
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. clip — to cut
  22. clip — for paper
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fan — to cool the air

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