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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: mark · rush · wind · spell · club · tube · lean · toast

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. club — a group
  4. club — for golf
  5. mark — a trace
  6. wind — moving air
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. toast — bread
  10. spell — letters
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. spell — magic
  13. rush — hurry
  14. lean — thin
  15. mark — a grade
  16. tube — the underground
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. club — for dancing
  19. tube — a container
  20. wind — moving air
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — to bend
  23. spell — a short time
  24. tube — in a tire

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