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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
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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 · saw · bowl · coach · dip · squash · clip · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. clip — to cut
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. clip — a video
  11. clip — for paper
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. squash — to crush
  14. saw — the tool
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. dip — to sink
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. squash — the sport
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. saw — the tool

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