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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · object · file · squash · swing · bowl · wind · spring

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. file — a tool
  5. object — to protest
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. object — an aim
  9. squash — to crush
  10. wind — moving air
  11. spring — a coil
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. spring — of water
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. spring — the season
  18. file — a document
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — the sport
  21. file — a line of people
  22. object — a thing
  23. swing — music
  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