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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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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: kick · dip · wind · kid · stem · stick

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kid — to tease
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. kick — in football
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. kid — child
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. stem — to come from
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. wind — moving air
  14. dip — to sink
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. stick — to attach or keep to

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