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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: toast · mouse · fine · foot · shower · file · track · lie

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. file — a document
  4. toast — bread
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. track — to keep track
  7. foot — a measure
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. shower — rain
  12. track — a path
  13. track — a song
  14. fine — high quality
  15. file — a tool
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. shower — to wash
  20. fine — all right
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. file — a line of people

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