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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: wind · swing · plane · deal · cap · fan · jam · rush

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. wind — moving air
  5. rush — hurry
  6. plane — a tool
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. cap — a lid
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. swing — in golf
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. wind — moving air
  17. deal — to handle
  18. swing — music
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. swing — to play on
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — of ice
  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