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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
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: stand · squash · nail · chair · fan · arm · saw · lash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. stand — to bear
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. chair — a leader
  14. saw — the tool
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — to crush

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