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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: swing · prune · suit · fan · rash · wake · bay · chip

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. suit — clothes
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. prune — to trim
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. swing — in golf
  13. suit — to fit
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. wake — a trail
  16. swing — to play on
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rash — hasty
  19. swing — music
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. suit — in cards
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. chip — for betting

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