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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: dip · trunk · fan · suit · swing · bat · content · rest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. suit — to fit
  5. rest — a break
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. content — the amount
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. swing — to play on
  13. rest — what's left
  14. suit — in cards
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. swing — music
  17. suit — clothes
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bat — the animal
  20. swing — in golf
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. content — happy

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