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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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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: stick · swing · file · trunk · date · wind · squash · foot

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. wind — moving air
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — the sport
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. file — a document
  7. swing — to play on
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. foot — a measure
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. file — a line of people
  14. swing — in golf
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. file — a tool
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. date — the fruit
  21. swing — music
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wind — moving air
  24. date — on the calendar

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