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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.

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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: fan · ball · wind · bear · fall · safe · prune · swing

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bear — the animal
  5. fall — to drop
  6. prune — to trim
  7. wind — moving air
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wind — moving air
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — music
  13. bear — the animal
  14. ball — a dance
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. prune — to trim
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. fall — to drop
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fall — the season
  23. ball — a great time
  24. wind — to turn a key

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