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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: fork · fan · deal · swing · hide · cell · cold · key

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. swing — in golf
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cold — not warm
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. cold — an illness
  7. key — for a lock
  8. cell — in biology
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. swing — music
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. deal — to handle
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — in music
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. swing — to play on
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. cell — a phone
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fan — a supporter

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