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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: saw · tube · tear · mouse · fan · bass · present · cap

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. tube — the underground
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. tear — to rip
  8. cap — of ice
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bass — the fish
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cap — a hat
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. cap — a lid
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bass — low music
  19. present — there
  20. tube — a container
  21. tear — from crying
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — a gift

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