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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: suit · cold · mug · kid · bat · lash · rush · wax

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bat — the animal
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. suit — clothes
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. cold — an illness
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. cold — not warm
  12. mug — to rob
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. suit — in cards
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wax — to grow
  19. mug — a face
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. rush — hurry
  23. mug — a cup
  24. wax — in the ear

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