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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: patient · bay · fan · stick · squash · suit · leaves · lash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. suit — clothes
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. squash — to crush
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. suit — to fit
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. suit — in cards
  24. squash — the sport

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