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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.

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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: lean · fan · squash · firm · hide · wave · can · game

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. can — a tin
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. firm — decided
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. squash — to crush
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. can — a tin
  15. firm — steady
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. game — a match
  19. lean — to bend
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. firm — a company
  22. can — to be able to
  23. game — wild animals
  24. lean — thin

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