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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: suit · bore · kid · lie · arm · roll · rash · bat

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. suit — in cards
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bat — the animal
  6. rash — a series
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. roll — a list
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. kid — child
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — to tire
  18. suit — clothes
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. rash — hasty
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. kid — to tease

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