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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
468
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 · tube · spring · spell · pit · stick · lean · net

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pit — in a race
  4. tube — the underground
  5. pit — a hole
  6. tube — a container
  7. squash — the sport
  8. spring — a coil
  9. lean — thin
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — to crush
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. spring — of water
  14. net — after costs
  15. spell — a short time
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. net — for catching
  18. spell — letters
  19. spring — the season
  20. net — in sport
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lean — to bend

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