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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 120 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: last · swing · wound · bulb · coach · fan · wind · calf

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  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. swing — music
  2. swing — to play on
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. last — to go on
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wind — moving air
  10. last — finally
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. last — final
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wound — an injury
  23. calf — a young animal
  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