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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: bore · swing · fan · rash · staff · wave · racket · track

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. swing — music
  6. rash — a series
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bore — to drill
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. swing — to play on
  12. rash — hasty
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. staff — a stick
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. swing — in golf
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a path
  20. track — a song
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. staff — employees
  23. bore — to tire
  24. racket — a loud noise

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