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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rest — a break
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — to play on
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. suit — to fit
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. rest — what's left
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bound — certain
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. suit — clothes
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. rest — what's left
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bound — tied together
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cell — in biology
  21. suit — in cards
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. bound — obliged
  24. coach — a trainer

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