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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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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 · mug · rock · cap · pound · bay · kid · leaves

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — a face
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. rock — a stone
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kid — child
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. kid — to tease
  10. kick — in football
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. pound — a weight
  14. cap — a lid
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. cap — of ice
  24. rock — music

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