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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.

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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: row · fall · suit · kick · fine · bear · swing · current

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. current — of water
  3. current — electric
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. fall — the season
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — in football
  9. suit — clothes
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — a line
  12. swing — to play on
  13. suit — in cards
  14. fine — high quality
  15. current — happening now
  16. swing — in golf
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bear — the animal
  20. swing — music
  21. suit — to fit
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. row — to paddle
  24. bear — the animal

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