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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: bat · last · can · suit · trunk · kick · sharp · pass

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. last — to go on
  8. suit — in cards
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. bat — the animal
  11. sharp — clever
  12. last — finally
  13. kick — in football
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. suit — clothes
  16. can — to be able to
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. can — a tin
  21. suit — to fit
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. can — a tin
  24. trunk — of a car

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