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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: fan · wind · mug · track · cabinet · rush · bowl · tube

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. tube — the underground
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. rush — hurry
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. track — to keep track
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. mug — to rob
  11. tube — a container
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. track — a song
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mug — a face
  20. wind — moving air
  21. mug — a cup
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. track — a path
  24. bowl — to roll

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