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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: mouse · can · fan · wind · branch · file · face · stick

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. file — a tool
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. file — a document
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. wind — moving air
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — a division
  13. face — to confront
  14. wind — moving air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. face — to point toward
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. file — a line of people
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. face — part of the head
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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