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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
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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: bark · suit · key · swing · hide · firm · mine · last

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. last — finally
  3. firm — a company
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — for digging
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — to play on
  8. last — to go on
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. key — in music
  14. firm — decided
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. swing — music
  17. last — final
  18. suit — to fit
  19. key — for a lock
  20. firm — steady
  21. suit — clothes
  22. key — the most important part
  23. suit — in cards
  24. bark — to shout

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