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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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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 · march · press · spell · wind · rule · swing · coach

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. march — the month
  4. wind — moving air
  5. spell — letters
  6. wind — moving air
  7. rule — a law
  8. march — music
  9. swing — to play on
  10. march — the month
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. swing — in golf
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. spell — a short time
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — to push
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. spell — magic
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. swing — music
  24. rule — government

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