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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.

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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 · fall · snap · cabinet · fan · root · safe · wind

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. root — of a word
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. wind — moving air
  7. squash — to crush
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. fall — to drop
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — the cause
  14. snap — to click
  15. fall — the season
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wind — moving air
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — the sport

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