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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: date · suit · swing · roll · snap · hide · wake · current

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. current — electric
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. roll — a list
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. suit — to fit
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. snap — to click
  10. suit — in cards
  11. current — of water
  12. swing — in golf
  13. date — the fruit
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. current — happening now
  16. roll — a cake
  17. wake — a trail
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — to play on
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. hide — to keep secret

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