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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: rush · fork · bank · fan · lie · swing · rash · chair

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. rash — hasty
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. swing — to play on
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bank — for money
  9. lie — to recline
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. rash — a series
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — in golf
  16. rush — hurry
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bank — of a river
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bank — for money
  23. chair — a leader
  24. fork — to eat with

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