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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 · season · wake · cabinet · fall · wind · dip · field

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. fall — to drop
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to sink
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. fall — to drop
  7. field — farmland
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. swing — music
  10. wind — moving air
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. field — for sport
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. field — a subject
  18. wake — a trail
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. wind — moving air
  21. fall — the season
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. swing — to play on
  24. season — of the year

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