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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rush · fine · suit · wound · pound · lash · kick · game

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. suit — in cards
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rush — hurry
  8. game — wild animals
  9. suit — to fit
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. fine — all right
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. game — a match
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. kick — in football
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. fine — high quality
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. suit — clothes
  24. pound — a weight

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