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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: swing · hide · fork · rash · suit · kick · mate · ground

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. swing — in golf
  3. suit — in cards
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. ground — the earth
  7. kick — in football
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. mate — to breed
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — a position
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rash — hasty
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. mate — a partner
  16. suit — to fit
  17. swing — music
  18. rash — a series
  19. swing — to play on
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. suit — clothes
  22. fork — in a road
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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