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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.

Make a worksheet

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: squash · fan · cabinet · wake · court · mug · toast · bay

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. court — of law
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. court — for sport
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. mug — a face
  8. toast — bread
  9. wake — a trail
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the sport
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. court — of a king
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a cup
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. bay — a horse colour

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