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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: lean · pass · dip · kid · rush · mouse · pitcher · pop

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. pop — music
  3. kid — to tease
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pop — to visit
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pop — soda
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — child
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. dip — to sink
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. lean — to rest against

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