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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: chest · racket · bay · toast · nail · swing · sharp · fan

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. chest — of your body
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. sharp — clever
  9. toast — bread
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. swing — to play on
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. swing — music
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. chest — a box
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bay — a horse colour

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