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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: hand · saw · lash · rule · toast · chair · fan · bank

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  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 — a supporter
  2. bank — for money
  3. hand — help
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bank — of a river
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. rule — government
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. saw — the tool
  16. toast — bread
  17. hand — in cards
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bank — for money
  20. chair — a leader
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. rule — a law
  23. toast — the most admired
  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