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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. kid — child
  3. staff — employees
  4. kid — to tease
  5. game — wild animals
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. band — a ring
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. kick — in football
  10. staff — a stick
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. game — a match
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. band — a music group
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. rock — music
  18. staff — employees
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — of water
  21. current — electric
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. band — a rubber band

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