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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.

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: tube · fan · last · squash · cell · spell · ball · stick

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a great time
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. tube — a container
  8. last — finally
  9. tube — the underground
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. spell — magic
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. last — to go on
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. last — final
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. spell — a short time
  21. squash — the sport
  22. spell — letters
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. squash — to crush

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