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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: mine · row · kick · stick · bowl · kid · staff · patient

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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. kid — to tease
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. mine — for digging
  9. kick — in football
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. kid — child
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. row — to paddle
  15. staff — a stick
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. staff — employees
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. row — a line
  20. staff — employees
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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