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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 · rush · staff · wake · dip · lie · mate · kid

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. kid — child
  4. staff — employees
  5. lie — to recline
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. suit — in cards
  10. kid — to tease
  11. mate — a friend
  12. suit — clothes
  13. dip — to sink
  14. wake — a trail
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. staff — employees
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. mate — to breed
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. suit — to fit
  23. mate — a partner
  24. rush — hurry

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