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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 116 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 · cap · swing · rule · clip · cue · last · staff

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. last — to go on
  3. cue — a hint
  4. swing — music
  5. suit — clothes
  6. staff — employees
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cue — for pool
  9. clip — for paper
  10. staff — a stick
  11. cap — a lid
  12. clip — to cut
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — to fit
  15. cap — a hat
  16. swing — to play on
  17. last — final
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — a law
  20. last — finally
  21. clip — a video
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. cue — a signal
  24. swing — in golf

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