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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.

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: patient · rash · suit · season · swing · mate · clip · snap

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. swing — music
  3. clip — for paper
  4. season — of the year
  5. mate — a friend
  6. rash — hasty
  7. swing — in golf
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mate — a partner
  10. clip — a video
  11. suit — to fit
  12. season — in sport
  13. mate — to breed
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. clip — to cut
  16. swing — to play on
  17. suit — in cards
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. suit — clothes
  24. snap — to click

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