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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rash · hand · wound · staff · suit · wind · kick · trunk

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. suit — to fit
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. suit — in cards
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wind — moving air
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. staff — a stick
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — in cards
  13. staff — employees
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wound — an injury
  17. rash — hasty
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wind — moving air
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. suit — clothes
  23. rash — a series
  24. staff — employees

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