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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.

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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: ground · fan · dip · wake · rush · swing · deal · band

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. ground — the earth
  5. band — a ring
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — a trail
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. dip — to sink
  10. swing — music
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. ground — crushed
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. rush — hurry
  17. deal — to handle
  18. swing — in golf
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. band — a music group
  22. ground — a position
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. rush — a thrill

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