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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.

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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: saw · racket · squash · stand · fan · row · suit · wind

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. squash — to crush
  5. saw — the tool
  6. suit — in cards
  7. saw — the tool
  8. row — to paddle
  9. wind — moving air
  10. row — a line
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. suit — to fit
  16. squash — the sport
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. suit — clothes
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. stand — to bear
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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