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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: prune · suit · saw · squash · firm · fan · wind · bass

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  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. firm — a company
  2. suit — in cards
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. saw — the tool
  6. squash — the sport
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. firm — decided
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. firm — steady
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — the fish
  20. squash — to crush
  21. suit — to fit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. suit — clothes
  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