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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bear · fan · fine · lean · swing · object · rash · spell

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bear — the animal
  4. swing — music
  5. fine — high quality
  6. lean — to bend
  7. rash — hasty
  8. object — an aim
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. spell — magic
  14. rash — a series
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. spell — letters
  17. object — a thing
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. object — to protest
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. swing — to play on
  23. fine — all right
  24. swing — in golf

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