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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: kick · leaves · mouse · bore · lean · stick · cold · rush

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. cold — an illness
  3. lean — to bend
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bore — to tire
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. lean — thin
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rush — hurry
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. kick — in football
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. cold — not warm
  24. rush — a thrill

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