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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: track · wind · rash · toast · spell · pass · tube · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. wind — moving air
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. tube — the underground
  6. spell — letters
  7. track — a path
  8. rash — hasty
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. track — a song
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. tube — a container
  15. track — to keep track
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. squash — the sport
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. toast — bread
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — a short time
  23. wind — moving air
  24. rash — a series

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