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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: suit · present · snap · swing · spell · stand · current · trunk

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. swing — in golf
  3. suit — in cards
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. current — of water
  7. suit — to fit
  8. present — a gift
  9. current — electric
  10. spell — magic
  11. present — there
  12. suit — clothes
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. stand — to bear
  15. snap — to click
  16. spell — letters
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. swing — to play on
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. spell — a short time
  21. swing — music
  22. current — happening now
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. present — the time now

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