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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: wave · mate · hide · rest · suit · bat · spring · kick

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bat — the animal
  3. mate — to breed
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rest — a break
  8. spring — the season
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — in football
  14. suit — in cards
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. suit — clothes
  17. spring — of water
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. mate — a friend
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. spring — a coil

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