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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: clip · craft · land · board · mine · lash · squash · fan

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  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. squash — to crush
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. land — to come down
  4. clip — a video
  5. board — a committee
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. clip — for paper
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. mine — for digging
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. craft — boats
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. craft — a skill
  18. board — to get on
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. land — ground
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. land — a country
  23. clip — to cut
  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