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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: rock · pound · cap · pop · bank · lie · shower · kick

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pop — soda
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rock — a stone
  7. cap — of ice
  8. rock — music
  9. kick — in football
  10. lie — to recline
  11. pop — music
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bank — of a river
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — to wash
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bank — for money
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bank — for money
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pop — to visit

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