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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rush · snap · hand · suit · calf · rash · kid · squash

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. suit — to fit
  3. hand — in cards
  4. snap — to click
  5. kid — to tease
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. rash — hasty
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. suit — clothes
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. suit — in cards
  17. squash — to crush
  18. kid — child
  19. squash — the sport
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rash — a series

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