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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. squash — to crush
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. toast — bread
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to bend
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. plane — a tool
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. squash — the sport
  24. calf — of the leg

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