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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: bowl · rash · suit · wound · kick · bay · tube · land

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. rash — a series
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. rash — hasty
  8. land — to come down
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. tube — a container
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. land — a country
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. suit — to fit
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. kick — in football
  20. land — ground
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. suit — clothes

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