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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: squash · season · file · fan · rash · cap · bulb · ground

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. file — a line of people
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. file — a tool
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rash — a series
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — the earth
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. cap — a hat
  15. rash — hasty
  16. ground — crushed
  17. squash — the sport
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — of the year
  21. cap — of ice
  22. file — a document
  23. cap — a lid
  24. squash — the vegetable

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