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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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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 · pound · shower · bay · rest · wave · rush · kick

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — in football
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. shower — rain
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. suit — to fit
  8. pound — a weight
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. shower — to wash
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. suit — in cards
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. rest — what's left
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. rest — a break
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. suit — clothes
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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