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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: fan · file · swing · bay · cell · wake · perch · current

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — music
  3. file — a tool
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cell — a phone
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. cell — in biology
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. file — a line of people
  10. swing — to play on
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — of water
  18. file — a document
  19. current — electric
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. wake — a trail
  24. perch — the fish

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