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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 116 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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. suit — clothes
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mate — a partner
  7. suit — in cards
  8. bank — for money
  9. wound — an injury
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bank — for money
  12. mate — to breed
  13. wound — an injury
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bank — of a river
  16. squash — to crush
  17. mate — a friend
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. saw — the tool
  20. scale — in music
  21. squash — the sport
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. scale — size or range
  24. squash — the vegetable

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