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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: bat · mug · kick · foot · shower · lean · rest · pop

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — to wash
  3. pop — to visit
  4. lean — thin
  5. mug — a face
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — music
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. kick — in football
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. rest — a break
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. shower — rain
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bat — the animal
  19. foot — a measure
  20. lean — to bend
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mug — to rob
  24. foot — part of the body

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