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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: squash · rest · craft · rock · fan · pass · fork · spring

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — the season
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — to crush
  11. spring — a coil
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. craft — boats
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. rest — a break
  19. rock — a stone
  20. pass — a permit
  21. fork — in a road
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. craft — a skill
  24. fan — to cool the air

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