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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: mine · bowl · fan · deal · mug · mouse · leaves · pass

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. deal — to handle
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — for digging
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — a face
  21. pass — a permit
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. fan — to cool the air

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