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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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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: fan · tear · mate · trunk · bay · swing · root · club

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. root — of a word
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. tear — from crying
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. mate — to breed
  9. root — of a plant
  10. tear — from crying
  11. club — a group
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. mate — a partner
  14. tear — to rip
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. root — the cause
  17. club — for dancing
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — music
  21. club — for golf
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bay — a horse colour

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