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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
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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: rush · saw · toast · bass · spell · squash · tube · wax

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. saw — the tool
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. rush — hurry
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — to grow
  7. toast — bread
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. saw — the tool
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. spell — magic
  12. squash — to crush
  13. tube — a container
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. bass — the fish
  20. tube — the underground
  21. squash — the sport
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bass — low music
  24. tube — in a tire

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