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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: suit · fan · swing · current · club · lash · shower · craft

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. club — for dancing
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. swing — in golf
  6. current — happening now
  7. shower — rain
  8. suit — clothes
  9. shower — to wash
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. swing — to play on
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. swing — music
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — boats
  17. current — electric
  18. club — a group
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — to fit
  22. club — for golf
  23. current — of water
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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