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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: fine · chip · swing · march · rest · lie · foot · fan

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. march — music
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. march — the month
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. march — the month
  9. swing — to play on
  10. chip — for betting
  11. rest — a break
  12. foot — a measure
  13. lie — to recline
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. swing — music
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. swing — in golf
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. rest — what's left
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fine — high quality
  24. chip — to eat

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