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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: spell · rush · drill · can · tube · game · wind · squash

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — the underground
  3. wind — moving air
  4. can — a tin
  5. squash — the sport
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. drill — the tool
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. can — a tin
  12. spell — a short time
  13. tube — a container
  14. spell — magic
  15. can — to be able to
  16. squash — to crush
  17. drill — a practice
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a match
  20. spell — letters
  21. wind — moving air
  22. rush — hurry
  23. drill — army training
  24. rush — to hurry

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