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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.

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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: bulb · saw · fan · row · hide · can · squash · ball

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bulb — for light
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. row — a line
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. ball — a great time
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. saw — the tool
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. squash — to crush
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. ball — a dance

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