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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 116 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: rash · swing · fan · season · wound · mark · cue · bound

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bound — tied together
  4. swing — to play on
  5. cue — for pool
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. mark — a grade
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. season — of the year
  13. bound — obliged
  14. swing — music
  15. cue — a hint
  16. season — in sport
  17. mark — a trace
  18. cue — a signal
  19. rash — a series
  20. bound — certain
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. wound — an injury

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