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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
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: mouse · fan · pit · file · rule · spell · key · rush

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. file — a tool
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. file — a line of people
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. spell — letters
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rule — a law
  15. pit — in a race
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. key — for a lock
  18. spell — a short time
  19. file — a document
  20. pit — a hole
  21. rule — government
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. spell — magic
  24. key — in music

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