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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: saw · rush · spell · mine · fall · drill · tube · wave

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. fall — the season
  8. rush — hurry
  9. fall — to drop
  10. drill — the tool
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. drill — a practice
  13. mine — for digging
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — a short time
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — a container
  18. spell — letters
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. drill — army training
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. tube — the underground

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