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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: file · cell · mouse · mine · rash · fine · stand · board

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. cell — a phone
  6. fine — high quality
  7. rash — a series
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. board — a committee
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. cell — in biology
  13. file — a line of people
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. fine — all right
  16. stand — to bear
  17. rash — hasty
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a tool
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. board — to get on

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