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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: rush · drill · suit · wake · tube · game · spell · kick

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. rush — hurry
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. tube — a container
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. kick — in football
  8. drill — the tool
  9. tube — the underground
  10. spell — magic
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — wild animals
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. suit — to fit
  16. drill — army training
  17. game — a match
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. wake — a trail
  20. drill — a practice
  21. spell — letters
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. spell — a short time
  24. suit — in cards

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