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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: kick · can · bat · stand · suit · mark · rash · shower

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. rash — hasty
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bat — the animal
  9. mark — a grade
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — clothes
  13. kick — in football
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. stand — to bear
  16. mark — a trace
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. can — to be able to
  21. shower — to wash
  22. rash — a series
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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