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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: board · squash · stick · wind · swing · trunk · season · last

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. season — in sport
  3. swing — in golf
  4. last — finally
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — to get on
  10. last — to go on
  11. wind — moving air
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. board — a committee
  17. wind — moving air
  18. swing — to play on
  19. season — of the year
  20. squash — to crush
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. squash — the sport
  24. last — final

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