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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: prune · suit · race · fine · wake · fan · straw · kid

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. race — humankind
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. kid — child
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. suit — clothes
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. fine — all right
  13. race — a contest
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. kid — to tease
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. wake — a trail
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. race — the arms race
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. suit — in cards
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fan — a supporter

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