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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: mate · bowl · can · snap · fan · march · ruler · squash

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. mate — to breed
  4. squash — the sport
  5. snap — to click
  6. mate — a friend
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. march — music
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. can — a tin
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. can — a tin
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mate — a partner

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