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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: suit · craft · present · stand · mark · hand · chest · rash

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — to fit
  3. chest — of your body
  4. hand — in cards
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. mark — a trace
  7. hand — help
  8. present — a gift
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. stand — to bear
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. chest — of your body
  14. craft — boats
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. rash — hasty
  17. present — the time now
  18. suit — in cards
  19. craft — a skill
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. rash — a series
  23. chest — a box
  24. present — there

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