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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: kick · hide · wind · land · rash · jam · suit · craft

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — clothes
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. suit — in cards
  7. land — ground
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — boats
  10. rash — a series
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. land — to come down
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wind — moving air
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. rash — hasty
  18. land — a country
  19. wind — moving air
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. kick — in football
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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