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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: stand · fan · squash · lash · staff · spell · saw · game

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. staff — employees
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. stand — to bear
  8. spell — letters
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. staff — a stick
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. spell — magic
  18. staff — employees
  19. game — a match
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. squash — the sport
  22. game — wild animals
  23. spell — a short time
  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