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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: rush · rule · stick · mine · pound · kid · bear · kick

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. kid — child
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. kick — in football
  17. rule — a law
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. rule — government
  21. bear — the animal
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. rush — hurry
  24. kid — to tease

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