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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · date · fan · chest · temple · season · chair · swing

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. chest — of your body
  3. season — in sport
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. chair — a leader
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wake — a trail
  8. chest — a box
  9. date — the fruit
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. swing — to play on
  12. season — of the year
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. swing — music
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. swing — in golf
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. chair — a professorship

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