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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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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: suit · rash · ball · hand · stick · roll · fine · hide

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. ball — a dance
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. roll — a cake
  5. rash — hasty
  6. hand — help
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. suit — to fit
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. roll — a list
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fine — all right
  15. hand — in cards
  16. rash — a series
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — high quality
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. suit — in cards
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. ball — a great time
  23. suit — clothes
  24. hide — animal skin

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