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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: deal · wound · rash · fan · wake · bulb · ball · squash

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rash — a series
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. ball — a dance
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wake — a trail
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. squash — to crush
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. ball — a great time
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bulb — for light
  23. deal — to handle
  24. fan — a supporter

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