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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: swing · wind · fan · bowl · bay · leaves · wake · patient

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. swing — to play on
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. swing — in golf
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. swing — music
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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