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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. rest — what's left
  3. suit — in cards
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — in a race
  6. date — the fruit
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. game — a match
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. suit — to fit
  13. pit — a hole
  14. game — wild animals
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. rest — what's left
  18. snap — to click
  19. hand — help
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — in football
  22. rest — a break
  23. hand — in cards
  24. date — on the calendar

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