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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 116 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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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: rule · lash · fan · squash · craft · mouse · wind · root

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  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. wind — moving air
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. root — of a plant
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rule — government
  6. root — of a word
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. root — the cause
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. squash — to crush
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rule — a law
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. craft — a skill
  19. squash — the sport
  20. wind — moving air
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. craft — boats
  23. wind — to turn a key
  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