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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: fine · fan · season · toast · swing · tube · present · fall

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — high quality
  6. present — the time now
  7. season — in sport
  8. present — a gift
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. present — there
  11. fall — to drop
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — music
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. tube — the underground
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. season — of the year
  19. fall — to drop
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. tube — a container
  23. swing — to play on
  24. fall — the season

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