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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: bound · pop · land · craft · chip · straw · kick · rush

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. bound — tied together
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. craft — boats
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. pop — soda
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. rush — hurry
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bound — certain
  12. craft — a skill
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — for betting
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. land — to come down
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. kick — in football
  20. land — a country
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. pop — music
  23. bound — obliged
  24. land — ground

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