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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. land — a country
  7. land — ground
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. land — to come down
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. date — the fruit
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. lash — to lash out

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