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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: squash · nail · date · object · wind · spell · cabinet · toast

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. squash — to crush
  3. date — the fruit
  4. wind — moving air
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. squash — the sport
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wind — moving air
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. object — to protest
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — letters
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. object — a thing
  20. spell — a short time
  21. object — an aim
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. squash — the vegetable

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