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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: content · leaves · date · last · swing · press · bear · fan

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. press — a publisher
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. last — to go on
  6. bear — the animal
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. press — to push
  9. bear — the animal
  10. swing — to play on
  11. date — the fruit
  12. last — finally
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. last — final
  16. content — happy
  17. swing — music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. content — the amount
  20. press — newspapers
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. swing — in golf
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. leaves — to go away

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