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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 · dip · mine · pop · rush · kick · rock · craft

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. craft — a skill
  3. rush — hurry
  4. craft — boats
  5. pop — soda
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. pop — to visit
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. rock — a stone
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. mine — for digging
  15. kick — in football
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — thin
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. rock — music
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. pop — music
  24. dip — to dunk

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