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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: file · temple · cold · pit · swing · squash · bulb · fan

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cold — an illness
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. file — a line of people
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. file — a document
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bulb — for light
  16. file — a tool
  17. squash — to crush
  18. pit — a hole
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. pit — in a race
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. cold — not warm
  23. swing — to play on
  24. squash — the sport

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