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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
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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: fan · hide · land · prune · toast · squash

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. land — a country
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. prune — to trim
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. squash — the sport
  12. toast — bread
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. land — ground
  18. toast — the most admired

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