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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: kick · stick · bowl · stem · chest · net · dip · hand

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. chest — a box
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. net — after costs
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. dip — to sink
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — in sport
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. hand — help
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. chest — of your body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. chest — of your body
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. stem — of a plant

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