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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.

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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: wake · hide · fan · content · cue · chest · pass · swing

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. chest — a box
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. pass — a permit
  7. chest — of your body
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — music
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cue — a signal
  12. content — the amount
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. swing — to play on
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cue — for pool
  18. chest — of your body
  19. cue — a hint
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. content — happy

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