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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.

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: fan · object · date · bay · field · rash · straw · squash

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. squash — to crush
  8. field — for sport
  9. object — an aim
  10. date — the fruit
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. field — a subject
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. object — to protest
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. rash — a series
  22. squash — the sport
  23. object — a thing
  24. field — farmland

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