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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
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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: track · scale · wake · rash · drill · mouse · fan · spell

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. wake — a trail
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — a short time
  8. track — to keep track
  9. rash — hasty
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — army training
  12. track — a song
  13. scale — size or range
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. drill — the tool
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. spell — letters
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rash — a series
  22. track — a path
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. scale — in music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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