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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: squash · last · file · saw · spell · tube · roll · coach

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. file — a document
  3. tube — the underground
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. saw — the tool
  7. tube — a container
  8. saw — the tool
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. spell — a short time
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. file — a line of people
  13. squash — to crush
  14. roll — a cake
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. spell — letters
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. file — a tool
  20. roll — a list
  21. spell — magic
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — final
  24. last — finally

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