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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · wound · bass · trunk · pop · staff · dip · kid

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. dip — to sink
  5. kid — child
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bass — low music
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kick — in football
  11. pop — music
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. wound — an injury
  15. kid — to tease
  16. bass — the fish
  17. pop — to visit
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — employees
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pop — soda
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of a car

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