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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 116 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: club · kick · stem · can · rush · kid · wound · fine

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. wound — an injury
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. can — to be able to
  8. fine — high quality
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. kid — child
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. kick — in football
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. stem — to come from
  15. rush — hurry
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. club — for golf
  18. kid — to tease
  19. club — for dancing
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. wound — an injury
  22. club — a group
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. fine — all right

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