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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · wound · season · saw · current · wave · ground

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. saw — the tool
  3. current — electric
  4. current — happening now
  5. squash — to crush
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. saw — the tool
  8. ground — a position
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. season — of the year
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. ground — the earth
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. current — of water
  22. ground — crushed
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — the vegetable

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