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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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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 · bass · sharp · wind · chip · squash · rest · swing

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. suit — to fit
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bass — low music
  6. suit — clothes
  7. chip — to eat
  8. suit — in cards
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. swing — music
  11. bass — the fish
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. squash — to crush
  18. swing — to play on
  19. squash — the sport
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. chip — for betting
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. wind — to turn a key

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