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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: pass · band · pop · kick · suit · wound · bat · hide

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bat — the animal
  4. wound — an injury
  5. suit — in cards
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. suit — to fit
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. wound — an injury
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. pop — soda
  19. band — a ring
  20. pop — to visit
  21. band — a music group
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. pop — music
  24. hide — to keep secret

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