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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 116 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: fan · file · season · rash · calf · board · key · swing

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. rash — hasty
  4. swing — to play on
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. season — in sport
  8. file — a line of people
  9. board — a committee
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. swing — music
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. file — a tool
  14. swing — in golf
  15. board — to get on
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. key — in music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. key — the most important part
  21. season — of the year
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. file — a document
  24. rash — a series

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