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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
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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: foot · mine · wound · mate · roll · leaves · kick · rush

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. roll — a cake
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. mate — a friend
  7. kick — in football
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. mate — a partner
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. wound — an injury
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. foot — a measure
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. wound — an injury
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. roll — a list

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