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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: lie · fan · last · straw · craft · mug · shower · squash

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  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. shower — a meteor shower
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. last — final
  6. mug — to rob
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. last — to go on
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. last — finally
  12. shower — to wash
  13. squash — to crush
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. shower — rain
  17. craft — a skill
  18. mug — a face
  19. mug — a cup
  20. craft — boats
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. straw — dry grass
  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