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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: clip · pop · rash · current · plane · swing · object · kick

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. swing — in golf
  3. clip — a video
  4. pop — music
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. swing — music
  7. kick — in football
  8. current — of water
  9. object — to protest
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — a tool
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — hasty
  15. swing — to play on
  16. pop — to visit
  17. current — electric
  18. current — happening now
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. pop — soda
  21. clip — to cut
  22. object — an aim
  23. clip — for paper
  24. object — a thing

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