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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 120 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: file · deal · snap · mine · court · bulb · mouse · lean

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. court — of a king
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. lean — thin
  7. file — a line of people
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. deal — to handle
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bulb — for light
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bulb — for light
  16. lean — to bend
  17. file — a tool
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. court — of law
  20. court — for sport
  21. snap — to click
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. deal — an agreement

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