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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 116 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 · kid · last · racket · content · nail · snap · fan

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. suit — in cards
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. content — the amount
  8. snap — to click
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. content — happy
  12. suit — clothes
  13. last — finally
  14. last — final
  15. last — to go on
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. kid — child
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. kid — to tease
  24. nail — for a hammer

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