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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.

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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 · stand · fork · rock · temple · squash

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — to crush
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — a stone
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. squash — the sport
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fork — in a road

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