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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: squash · sharp · fan · pop · swing · leaves · bear · straw

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pop — music
  3. swing — to play on
  4. pop — soda
  5. swing — in golf
  6. squash — to crush
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. squash — the sport
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pop — to visit
  21. sharp — clever
  22. swing — music
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — dry grass

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