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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: saw · mouse · file · mine · patient · club · capital · hide

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. club — for dancing
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. file — a tool
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. club — for golf
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. saw — the tool
  11. capital — money
  12. file — a line of people
  13. club — a group
  14. file — a document
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. mine — for digging
  21. saw — the tool
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. capital — a city

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