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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.

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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: mouse · fork · rush · file · wound · mine · board · nail

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fork — in a road
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. board — a committee
  6. file — a document
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — to get on
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. file — a tool
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mine — for digging
  24. fork — a garden tool

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