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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. current — of water
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. swing — to play on
  5. clip — to cut
  6. season — of the year
  7. bark — to shout
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — in cards
  10. clip — a video
  11. clip — for paper
  12. current — happening now
  13. swing — in golf
  14. ball — a great time
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. suit — clothes
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — in sport
  24. current — electric

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