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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 116 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: squash · key · firm · vault · stick · fan · band · saw

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. firm — a company
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. key — the most important part
  7. vault — a safe
  8. band — a music group
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — to crush
  13. firm — decided
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. key — for a lock
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. firm — steady
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. key — in music
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. band — a ring

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