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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
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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 · plane · mine · mark · squash · roll · mug · mouse

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. squash — to crush
  11. file — a document
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — a cup
  16. plane — a tool
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mug — to rob
  19. roll — a cake
  20. file — a line of people
  21. squash — the sport
  22. file — a tool
  23. mine — for digging
  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