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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: chair · fan · swing · bark · bowl · wax · temple · object

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. object — a thing
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. object — to protest
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wax — to grow
  18. swing — to play on
  19. object — an aim
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bark — to shout
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. fan — a supporter

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