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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
468
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: mate · hand · can · suit · swing · kick · ruler · file

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. mate — a partner
  3. can — a tin
  4. suit — clothes
  5. file — a document
  6. mate — a friend
  7. suit — in cards
  8. file — a tool
  9. mate — to breed
  10. hand — help
  11. can — a tin
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. can — to be able to
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. swing — to play on
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. suit — to fit
  18. swing — music
  19. file — a line of people
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. swing — in golf
  22. hand — in cards
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — with a leg

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