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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.

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: sharp · swing · chair · track · season · fall · fan · stick

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. chair — a leader
  5. season — of the year
  6. swing — to play on
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. track — a path
  9. season — in sport
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. fall — the season
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fall — to drop
  15. track — to keep track
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. track — a song
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. swing — music
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. season — to add flavour

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