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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: fan · scale · band · firm · spell · press · swing · wave

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. firm — a company
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — a short time
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. swing — music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. firm — decided
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. spell — letters
  12. swing — in golf
  13. press — newspapers
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. scale — in music
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. press — a publisher
  18. band — a ring
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. swing — to play on
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. firm — steady
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. press — to push

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