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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: file · fan · stand · march · bay · lash · hand · squash

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. file — a document
  4. march — music
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. hand — help
  8. squash — to crush
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. march — the month
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. hand — in cards
  20. file — a tool
  21. squash — the sport
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. march — the month

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