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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: key · saw · mouse · file · toast · tube · net · firm

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. net — after costs
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. net — in sport
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — in music
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. firm — a company
  10. toast — bread
  11. tube — a container
  12. net — for catching
  13. firm — steady
  14. key — for a lock
  15. file — a document
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. file — a line of people
  18. saw — the tool
  19. firm — decided
  20. tube — the underground
  21. file — a tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. mouse — for a computer

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