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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: swing · fan · mark · lean · spell · trunk · temple · degree

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. swing — in golf
  7. degree — from a university
  8. spell — a short time
  9. lean — thin
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. mark — a trace
  16. degree — an amount
  17. spell — letters
  18. swing — to play on
  19. degree — temperature
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. mark — a grade
  23. lean — to bend
  24. spell — magic

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