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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: court · bank · lean · pop · wake · rush · bay · stick

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. court — for sport
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. pop — music
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. court — of law
  12. pop — to visit
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. pop — soda
  19. lean — thin
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. rush — hurry
  22. court — of a king
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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