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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: fan · bay · squash · kick · stick · rest · prune · lean

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. rest — what's left
  6. kick — in football
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the sport
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. lean — thin
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — a horse colour

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