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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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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: rule · club · wind · jam · hide · current · kick · swing

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. wind — moving air
  3. current — of water
  4. kick — in football
  5. club — for dancing
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. current — electric
  11. club — a group
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. swing — in golf
  14. club — for golf
  15. wind — moving air
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — music
  18. rule — a law
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. current — happening 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