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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 116 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 · leaves · mug · wind · mate · club · stick · swing

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. swing — to play on
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mug — a face
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. mate — a partner
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. mug — to rob
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. swing — in golf
  13. club — a group
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mate — a friend
  19. swing — music
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — for golf
  24. mug — a cup

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