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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 · key · chest · snap · cap · date · fine · kid

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. chest — of your body
  3. cap — a lid
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. key — the most important part
  8. suit — in cards
  9. key — in music
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. key — for a lock
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. kid — child
  14. cap — of ice
  15. chest — of your body
  16. suit — clothes
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to click
  19. chest — a box
  20. cap — a hat
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. suit — to fit
  24. date — the fruit

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