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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: wake · bat · kick · pass · object · suit · hand · present

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bat — the animal
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. wake — a trail
  5. suit — in cards
  6. pass — a permit
  7. present — there
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — in cards
  11. suit — clothes
  12. kick — in football
  13. suit — to fit
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. present — a gift
  17. object — an aim
  18. present — the time now
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. object — a thing
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. object — to protest

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