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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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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: squash · cabinet · wind · nail · saw · fan · hand · object

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. saw — the tool
  3. object — an aim
  4. squash — the sport
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. hand — help
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. wind — moving air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wind — moving air
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. squash — to crush
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — to protest
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. hand — part of the body

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