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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: ground · mate · roll · chest · suit · bat · rash · kick

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. ground — the earth
  3. suit — in cards
  4. kick — in football
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. chest — of your body
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. chest — of your body
  10. ground — a position
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — a partner
  14. roll — a list
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. chest — a box
  18. ground — crushed
  19. suit — to fit
  20. roll — a cake
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bat — the animal
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — a series

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