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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · band · lash · content · fan · squash · sharp · rush

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. squash — to crush
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. sharp — clever
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. content — the amount
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. squash — the sport
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. content — happy
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a music group
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. rush — hurry
  24. lash — to lash out

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