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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
468
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: pop · hand · stick · plane · mate · shower · kick · mouse

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. pop — soda
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. shower — rain
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. hand — help
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. kick — in football
  13. hand — in cards
  14. pop — music
  15. shower — to wash
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. mate — to breed
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mouse — the animal

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