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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: suit · swing · mine · staff · sharp · squash · plane · prune

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. suit — to fit
  4. staff — a stick
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. prune — to trim
  7. sharp — clever
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. squash — the sport
  10. prune — to trim
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. swing — to play on
  13. staff — employees
  14. suit — clothes
  15. plane — a tool
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. mine — for digging
  18. suit — in cards
  19. staff — employees
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. swing — music
  23. squash — to crush
  24. sharp — exactly

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