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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.

Make a worksheet

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: fan · tube · game · mouse · bank · firm · present · kick

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. present — there
  4. firm — steady
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — a container
  7. bank — for money
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — a company
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a match
  15. present — the time now
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. tube — the underground
  19. kick — in football
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bank — of a river
  23. present — a gift
  24. bank — for money

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