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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 · mine · bulb · court · can · kick · mouse · plane

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. file — a document
  4. can — to be able to
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. court — of a king
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. can — a tin
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. file — a line of people
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. can — a tin
  17. court — for sport
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bulb — for light
  20. kick — in football
  21. mine — for digging
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. file — a tool
  24. court — of law

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