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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: wind · chip · season · stand · fan · temple · foot · swing

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. season — in sport
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. swing — in golf
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. swing — to play on
  15. wind — moving air
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. chip — to eat
  19. swing — music
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. season — of the year
  22. stand — to bear
  23. wind — moving air
  24. chip — for betting

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