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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 120 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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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 · kid · lash · mouse · can · wind · trunk · chest

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. kid — child
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. chest — a box
  6. wind — moving air
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. chest — of your body
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. kid — to tease
  12. can — to be able to
  13. chest — of your body
  14. suit — to fit
  15. wind — moving air
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. can — a tin
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — in cards
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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