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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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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: kick · straw · file · last · suit · swing · stand · march

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. suit — to fit
  3. last — finally
  4. suit — in cards
  5. march — the month
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. last — final
  8. last — to go on
  9. swing — in golf
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. file — a document
  12. march — music
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. swing — music
  16. suit — clothes
  17. march — the month
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. swing — to play on
  21. file — a line of people
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. stand — to bear
  24. kick — in football

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