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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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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 · fan · degree · pound · bulb · rest · lash · stand

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. squash — to crush
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. squash — the sport
  7. degree — temperature
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. degree — an amount
  10. degree — from a university
  11. rest — a break
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. stand — to bear
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bulb — for light
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. fan — to cool the air

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