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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: mouse · nail · file · saw · key · spell · mine · bass

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  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. spell — magic
  2. key — the most important part
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. key — in music
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. file — a line of people
  12. spell — letters
  13. mine — for digging
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. key — for a lock
  17. file — a document
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bass — low music
  20. file — a tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bass — the fish
  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