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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. fall — the season
  4. swing — in golf
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. swing — to play on
  12. present — a gift
  13. squash — the sport
  14. chair — a leader
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. present — there
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. season — of the year
  19. present — the time now
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. season — in sport
  24. squash — to crush

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