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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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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 · last · lash · stick · kid · season · pound · cold

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. suit — clothes
  3. season — of the year
  4. suit — in cards
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. cold — an illness
  10. last — final
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. kid — child
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. season — in sport
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. last — to go on
  20. kid — to tease
  21. last — finally
  22. suit — to fit
  23. pound — a weight
  24. cold — not warm

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