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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: firm · cue · lean · kid · racket · hand · stick · wind

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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. wind — moving air
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. cue — a signal
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. hand — in cards
  8. lean — to bend
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wind — moving air
  11. lean — thin
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. firm — decided
  16. cue — for pool
  17. firm — a company
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kid — child
  20. cue — a hint
  21. hand — help
  22. firm — steady
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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