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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 120 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.

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: object · fan · march · squash · spell · lash · fork · band

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. spell — a short time
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. object — to protest
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. squash — the sport
  11. band — a music group
  12. object — an aim
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. spell — letters
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. march — the month
  18. spell — magic
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. squash — to crush
  24. band — a ring

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