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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stem · club · wave · squash · sharp · fan · lash · mine

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. club — for dancing
  4. stem — to come from
  5. sharp — clever
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. club — a group
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mine — for digging
  12. squash — the sport
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. club — for golf
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. squash — to crush
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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