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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: tear · bark · mate · squash · can · board · fan · saw

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. can — a tin
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bark — to shout
  6. tear — from crying
  7. can — to be able to
  8. saw — the tool
  9. tear — to rip
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. tear — from crying
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. board — to get on
  19. can — a tin
  20. mate — to breed
  21. board — a committee
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — a friend
  24. saw — the tool

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