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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: rush · charge · hand · pound · game · lean · pop · roll

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. game — wild animals
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to bend
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. hand — in cards
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. pop — to visit
  10. game — a match
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pop — music
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. charge — in control
  15. roll — a cake
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. charge — a price
  20. roll — a list
  21. pop — soda
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. charge — electricity
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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