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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: wind · can · mate · sharp · mouse · fan · tube · trunk

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — clever
  7. mate — a friend
  8. wind — moving air
  9. tube — a container
  10. can — a tin
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. mate — a partner
  14. tube — the underground
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wind — moving air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. mate — to breed
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. can — a tin

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