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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 · bear · pop · mine · lash · rush · cue · pit

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — in a race
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. pop — music
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. lean — thin
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — a hint
  12. rush — hurry
  13. lean — to bend
  14. pop — to visit
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. pop — soda
  24. rush — to hurry

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