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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: lean · pop · roll · snap · bound · date · foot · kick

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. lean — thin
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. date — the fruit
  7. kick — in football
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. snap — to click
  12. bound — obliged
  13. pop — to visit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — tied together
  17. roll — a cake
  18. lean — to bend
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. foot — a measure
  21. pop — music
  22. roll — a list
  23. pop — soda
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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