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

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. saw — the tool
  4. spell — a short time
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. squash — the sport
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. spell — letters
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. spell — magic
  20. bass — the fish
  21. capital — a city
  22. squash — to crush
  23. capital — money
  24. bass — low music

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