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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.

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: fan · foot · wake · clip · dip · deal · bark · squash

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. dip — to sink
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. foot — a measure
  6. clip — to cut
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. deal — to handle
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. wake — a trail
  16. clip — for paper
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. clip — a video
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bark — to shout
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. dip — to dunk

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