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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 · rush · wound · hand · squash · stick · ball · wake

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. ball — a dance
  7. hand — in cards
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. wound — an injury
  12. hand — help
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rush — hurry
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. squash — to crush
  23. wound — an injury
  24. ball — a great time

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