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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: kick · sharp · hand · pop · rock · straw · rush · pound

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — music
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. rock — music
  5. hand — in cards
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — hurry
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. rock — a stone
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. pop — to visit
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — clever
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. pound — a weight
  22. hand — help
  23. kick — in football
  24. hand — part of the body

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