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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.

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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: mug · press · spell · squash · shower · straw · wax · fan

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. shower — rain
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. press — newspapers
  7. spell — magic
  8. squash — the sport
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — to grow
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. shower — to wash
  14. spell — letters
  15. mug — to rob
  16. press — to push
  17. mug — a face
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. press — a publisher
  22. mug — a cup
  23. spell — a short time
  24. straw — dry grass

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