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

Word bank: swing · fan · chair · present · temple · bay · bear · trunk

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. present — a gift
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. present — there
  6. chair — a leader
  7. swing — in golf
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. swing — to play on
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. present — the time now
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. swing — music
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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