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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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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 · row · snap · kid · mate · trunk · rest · wave

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. rest — what's left
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — in cards
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. kid — child
  11. snap — to click
  12. mate — a partner
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. mate — a friend
  15. row — to paddle
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. kid — to tease
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. suit — clothes
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. row — a line
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. mate — to breed

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