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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: mouse · tube · cabinet · saw · coach · fall · can · rush

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. can — a tin
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. tube — the underground
  11. rush — hurry
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. can — a tin
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fall — to drop
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. fall — the season
  21. tube — a container
  22. fall — to drop
  23. can — to be able to
  24. rush — a thrill

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