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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: wake · craft · fan · saw · object · suit · shower · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. shower — rain
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. shower — to wash
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. saw — the tool
  9. suit — in cards
  10. object — a thing
  11. squash — the sport
  12. object — an aim
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — boats
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. saw — the tool
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — to fit
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. craft — a skill
  23. wake — a trail
  24. object — to protest

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