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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 120 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: bark · kick · shower · bowl · bear · rush · club · stick

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. kick — in football
  4. bear — the animal
  5. shower — to wash
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. club — for dancing
  9. rush — hurry
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. club — for golf
  12. shower — rain
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. club — a group
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bowl — to roll

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