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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: fan · squash · pound · racket · rule · shower · can · face

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. face — to confront
  3. pound — a weight
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. can — a tin
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. shower — rain
  10. face — to point toward
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. squash — the sport
  14. shower — to wash
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. squash — to crush
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — a law
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. face — part of the head
  24. can — to be able to

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