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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 116 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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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: mouse · wave · deal · fall · squash · club · tube · fork

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. fall — to drop
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. squash — the sport
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fall — the season
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — a container
  12. club — a group
  13. squash — to crush
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — for dancing
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. deal — to handle
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. tube — the underground
  24. squash — the vegetable

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