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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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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: chair · swing · lie · wind · trunk · kick · jam · fan

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — to play on
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. chair — a leader
  10. wind — moving air
  11. swing — music
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. kick — in football
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. lie — to recline
  20. wind — moving air
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. fan — a supporter

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