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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
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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 · squash · charge · march · prune · wave · swing · bank

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. swing — music
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. charge — a price
  5. squash — to crush
  6. prune — to trim
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — to play on
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bank — of a river
  13. march — the month
  14. charge — in control
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. march — music
  17. bank — for money
  18. charge — electricity
  19. march — the month
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — the sport

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