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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 · lash · date · stem · fan · file · ruler · deal

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. file — a document
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. deal — to handle
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a tool
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. date — the fruit
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mouse — for a computer

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