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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: fan · mouse · sharp · mine · ruler · pop · hand · leaves

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. hand — in cards
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mine — for digging
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. pop — music
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pop — to visit
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. hand — help
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — clever
  21. pop — soda
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. leaves — to go away

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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