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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: land · kid · kick · fork · rush · trunk · bay · dip

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. kid — to tease
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. land — to come down
  17. land — ground
  18. land — a country
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. kick — with a leg

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