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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: field · roll · lash · mark · shower · craft · squash · fan

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. field — for sport
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. craft — boats
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. mark — a trace
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. squash — the sport
  11. shower — to wash
  12. roll — a list
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. squash — to crush
  15. craft — a skill
  16. field — farmland
  17. mark — a grade
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. shower — rain
  20. field — a subject
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. roll — a cake

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