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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 120 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: safe · foot · rest · firm · bat · season · swing · fan

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. season — in sport
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. bat — the animal
  8. swing — to play on
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. swing — music
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. rest — what's left
  14. firm — a company
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. firm — decided
  17. swing — in golf
  18. firm — steady
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. season — of the year
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. foot — a measure
  24. rest — a break

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