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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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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: club · cap · swing · fan · last · cell · rush · fall

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cap — a lid
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. swing — in golf
  6. fall — to drop
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. fall — the season
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. club — for golf
  13. last — to go on
  14. swing — to play on
  15. club — a group
  16. cap — a hat
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fall — to drop
  20. swing — music
  21. last — final
  22. cell — a phone
  23. club — for dancing
  24. cap — of ice

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