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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: rush · ball · lean · suit · rule · clip · mark · sharp

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. suit — clothes
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. suit — in cards
  5. lean — to bend
  6. ball — a dance
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. rule — government
  9. lean — thin
  10. clip — to cut
  11. clip — a video
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. mark — a trace
  14. suit — to fit
  15. mark — a grade
  16. rule — a law
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. sharp — clever
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rush — hurry

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