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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: kick · bark · mine · toast · can · suit · mate · swing

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. suit — clothes
  5. toast — bread
  6. bark — to shout
  7. can — a tin
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. suit — in cards
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. suit — to fit
  15. mine — for digging
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. swing — to play on
  18. can — a tin
  19. swing — music
  20. kick — in football
  21. swing — in golf
  22. mate — to breed
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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