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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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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: lash · fall · last · leaves · kick · tube · suit · kid

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. fall — to drop
  3. last — final
  4. suit — clothes
  5. suit — in cards
  6. last — to go on
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. tube — a container
  10. kid — child
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. tube — the underground
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. fall — to drop
  16. suit — to fit
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. fall — the season
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. kick — in football
  24. last — finally

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