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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 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. firm — decided
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. capital — a city
  6. firm — steady
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. capital — money
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. swing — in golf
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. firm — a company
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. cold — an illness
  19. swing — to play on
  20. cold — not warm
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — in control
  24. fan — a supporter

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