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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.

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: squash · mine · fan · dip · stick · object · fall · sharp

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. squash — to crush
  9. object — a thing
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. dip — to sink
  15. sharp — clever
  16. squash — the sport
  17. fall — the season
  18. mine — for digging
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — an aim

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