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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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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: cabinet · wind · file · fan · lean · pass · calf · squash

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a tool
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. lean — to bend
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. squash — the sport
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — a permit
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. lean — thin
  16. file — a line of people
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. fan — a supporter

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