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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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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 · mate · dip · kick · spring · kid · stick · ruler

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. kick — in football
  5. kid — child
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. foot — a measure
  9. mate — to breed
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. mate — a friend
  12. dip — to sink
  13. spring — a coil
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. spring — of water
  16. kid — to tease
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. spring — the season
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. mate — a partner

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