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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: rush · net · drill · lean · capital · calf · pop · dip

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. pop — music
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. drill — army training
  6. pop — to visit
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. net — after costs
  12. lean — to bend
  13. rush — hurry
  14. drill — the tool
  15. net — for catching
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — money
  18. drill — a practice
  19. net — in sport
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. lean — thin
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. dip — to sink
  24. pop — soda

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