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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: snap · can · last · suit · shower · cabinet · rush · bat

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. last — final
  3. bat — the animal
  4. shower — to wash
  5. snap — to click
  6. suit — to fit
  7. can — a tin
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. shower — rain
  13. suit — in cards
  14. last — finally
  15. last — to go on
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. suit — clothes
  20. rush — hurry
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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