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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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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: suit · fan · spring · patient · squash · season · dip · straw

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. dip — to sink
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. spring — the season
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — to fit
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. suit — in cards
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. squash — the sport
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. spring — of water
  18. squash — to crush
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. season — of the year
  21. spring — a coil
  22. season — in sport
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. fan — to cool the air

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