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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: can · stand · calf · rule · season · swing · clip · kid

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — to play on
  5. rule — a law
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — a video
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. can — a tin
  11. stand — to bear
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. can — a tin
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. clip — to cut
  18. season — of the year
  19. can — to be able to
  20. swing — music
  21. rule — government
  22. kid — child
  23. season — in sport
  24. kid — to tease

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