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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.

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: season · bore · key · fan · press · mouse · file · staff

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. staff — a stick
  5. key — the most important part
  6. file — a document
  7. press — a publisher
  8. file — a line of people
  9. press — newspapers
  10. key — in music
  11. season — in sport
  12. staff — employees
  13. bore — to tire
  14. file — a tool
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. season — of the year
  19. bore — to drill
  20. staff — employees
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. press — to push
  23. key — for a lock
  24. mouse — the animal

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