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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
468
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: ball · fan · bulb · straw · fall · swing · cabinet · club

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. swing — in golf
  3. club — for dancing
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bulb — for light
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. swing — to play on
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. club — a group
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. club — for golf
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. fall — to drop
  18. ball — a great time
  19. swing — music
  20. ball — a dance
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bulb — of a plant

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