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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: fan · rush · mouse · track · date · stick · saw · bound

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. track — a song
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. track — to keep track
  11. saw — the tool
  12. track — a path
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — hurry
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bound — certain
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. date — the fruit
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — tied together

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