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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 · face · deal · wind · squash · cabinet · lean · sharp

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — part of the head
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. lean — to bend
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. squash — to crush
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wind — moving air
  13. deal — to handle
  14. squash — the sport
  15. wind — moving air
  16. lean — thin
  17. face — to confront
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. sharp — clever
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. wind — to turn a key

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