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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 120 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: rest · clip · wound · club · coach · suit · current · mark

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — clothes
  4. clip — for paper
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. club — for dancing
  7. wound — an injury
  8. clip — to cut
  9. mark — a trace
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. current — of water
  14. suit — to fit
  15. current — happening now
  16. mark — a grade
  17. rest — what's left
  18. current — electric
  19. clip — a video
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — a group
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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