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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: court · kick · lean · mine · rock · rush · mate · fall

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. lean — to bend
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mine — for digging
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rock — music
  10. court — of law
  11. rock — a stone
  12. fall — the season
  13. mate — a partner
  14. court — for sport
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. court — of a king
  21. lean — thin
  22. rush — hurry
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. kick — in football

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