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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. wake — a trail
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bank — for money
  5. can — a tin
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — a container
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bass — the fish
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. tube — the underground
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bank — for money
  17. bass — low music
  18. can — a tin
  19. squash — to crush
  20. rash — a series
  21. bank — of a river
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bowl — a football final

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