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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: suit · hand · trunk · pitcher · kick · rest · pop · pass

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. pop — soda
  4. suit — clothes
  5. pass — a permit
  6. rest — what's left
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. kick — in football
  9. rest — a break
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. suit — to fit
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pop — music
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. hand — in cards
  20. suit — in cards
  21. hand — help
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rest — what's left

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