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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 · mouse · fan · fork · pass · cap · cold · patient

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cap — a lid
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cold — an illness
  9. fork — in a road
  10. cap — of ice
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. squash — to crush
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. squash — the sport
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pass — a permit
  24. cold — not warm

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