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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: suit · wind · clip · swing · rest · straw · foot · pass

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. swing — in golf
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. rest — what's left
  5. swing — music
  6. rest — what's left
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. clip — a video
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — in cards
  12. rest — a break
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — a measure
  15. clip — for paper
  16. clip — to cut
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. swing — to play on
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. suit — to fit
  23. pass — a permit
  24. wind — moving air

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