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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: swing · bowl · rash · temple · clip · snap · suit · ruler

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  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. rash — hasty
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. suit — in cards
  6. clip — a video
  7. clip — for paper
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. rash — a series
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. clip — to cut
  12. swing — to play on
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. suit — to fit
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. swing — in golf
  18. suit — clothes
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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