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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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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: squash · dip · hand · fan · mine · cue

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. cue — a hint
  3. dip — to sink
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. cue — for pool
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. squash — the sport
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. hand — help
  11. squash — to crush
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cue — a signal
  15. mine — for digging
  16. hand — in cards
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. hand — part of the body

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