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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: board · pitcher · wave · fan · rush · file · squash · can

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. can — a tin
  3. squash — to crush
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. can — to be able to
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. rush — hurry
  8. board — to get on
  9. squash — the sport
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. file — a tool
  12. board — a committee
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. file — a line of people
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. can — a tin
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. file — a document

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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