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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: lean · nail · cap · rush · stick · pop · ground · coach

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. pop — music
  4. lean — to bend
  5. cap — a hat
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. pop — to visit
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — the earth
  10. pop — soda
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cap — a lid
  16. ground — a position
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rush — hurry
  21. lean — thin
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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