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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
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: roll · fine · mine · mate · tube · fall · squash · wound

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. squash — to crush
  3. fine — all right
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. roll — a list
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. wound — an injury
  15. tube — a container
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — to breed
  18. roll — a cake
  19. mate — a partner
  20. wound — an injury
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. tube — the underground
  24. mine — an explosive

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