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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.

Make a worksheet

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: track · wind · season · tube · squash · last · net · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  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. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. net — in sport
  5. season — of the year
  6. tube — a container
  7. net — for catching
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. last — final
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a path
  13. tube — the underground
  14. wind — moving air
  15. season — in sport
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. last — finally
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. net — after costs
  21. track — a song
  22. last — to go on
  23. squash — to crush
  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