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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: squash · wave · roll · season · fan · fall · nail · ground

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. ground — crushed
  5. fall — to drop
  6. squash — to crush
  7. ground — a position
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. season — in sport
  11. squash — the sport
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fall — to drop
  15. ground — the earth
  16. fall — the season
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. roll — a cake
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. season — of the year
  21. roll — a list
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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