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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: last · swing · suit · rule · hide · clip · date · craft

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. suit — to fit
  5. clip — a video
  6. rule — a law
  7. clip — for paper
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. last — finally
  10. rule — government
  11. clip — to cut
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. suit — in cards
  15. date — the fruit
  16. suit — clothes
  17. last — final
  18. swing — in golf
  19. craft — boats
  20. last — to go on
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. craft — a skill
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. swing — music

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