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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. staff — employees
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. can — a tin
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. board — to get on
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. kick — in football
  10. wind — moving air
  11. hand — in cards
  12. staff — employees
  13. board — a committee
  14. bulb — for light
  15. can — to be able to
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bulb — for light
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. wind — moving air
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. can — a tin
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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