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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: club · trunk · swing · rush · tear · chair · bark · fan

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rush — hurry
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. club — a group
  6. swing — to play on
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. club — for golf
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. club — for dancing
  15. chair — a leader
  16. tear — from crying
  17. swing — in golf
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. bark — to shout
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. chair — to sit on

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