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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: rash · kick · arm · pit · mate · shower · dip · mine

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. mine — for digging
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. rash — a series
  6. kick — in football
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. shower — rain
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. pit — in a race
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. rash — hasty
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. shower — to wash
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a partner
  24. dip — to sink

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