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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: squash · fan · bowl · track · chip · snap · rush · spell

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. track — a song
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. spell — letters
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. chip — to eat
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. snap — to click
  13. spell — a short time
  14. rush — hurry
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. chip — for betting
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. spell — magic

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