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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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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: wake · swing · chair · last · fork · fan · bay · lash

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. wake — a trail
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. last — final
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. chair — a leader
  9. swing — to play on
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. last — finally
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. last — to go on
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — music

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