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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 · mine · swing · ball · present · rash · trunk · rush

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — in cards
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — to play on
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — there
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. swing — music
  21. suit — to fit
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a great time
  24. rush — a thrill

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