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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: trunk · fan · squash · object · cell · bowl · rash · fall

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. squash — the sport
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. cell — in biology
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. object — a thing
  14. fall — the season
  15. rash — hasty
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. fall — to drop
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — to protest
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bowl — a football final

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