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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.

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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: bowl · spring · spell · last · squash · rock · mouse · rash

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. last — to go on
  4. spring — the season
  5. rock — music
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. squash — the sport
  8. rock — a stone
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spring — of water
  12. squash — to crush
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — a series
  15. spell — letters
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. spell — magic
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. last — finally
  23. rash — hasty
  24. mouse — for a computer

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