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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kid · spell · pass · squash · pit · suit · coach · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. suit — in cards
  4. spell — letters
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. suit — to fit
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. squash — to crush
  11. pass — a permit
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. squash — the sport
  18. pit — in a race
  19. lean — to bend
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — magic
  22. suit — clothes
  23. kid — child
  24. coach — a trainer

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