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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.

Make a worksheet

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: toast · wound · mouse · spell · cue · squash

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. wound — an injury
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. squash — the sport
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. squash — to crush
  8. cue — a hint
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cue — a signal
  11. toast — bread
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. spell — a short time
  14. cue — for pool
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. spell — magic

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