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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: nail · lash · fork · foot · can · rule · fan · squash

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. squash — the sport
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. rule — a law
  8. squash — to crush
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. can — a tin
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. can — to be able to
  20. rule — government
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. can — a tin

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