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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: wake · bay · season · file · mug · mark · swing · fan

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a tool
  4. wake — a trail
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. swing — to play on
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — in sport
  16. mug — to rob
  17. swing — music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mug — a face
  22. file — a document
  23. swing — in golf
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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