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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 · rash · mouse · saw · fan · staff · board · cap

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. staff — employees
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. cap — of ice
  9. board — to get on
  10. cap — a hat
  11. rash — hasty
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. squash — to crush
  15. saw — the tool
  16. squash — the sport
  17. staff — employees
  18. board — a committee
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cap — a lid
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. staff — a stick

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