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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · lie · can · ground · mug · stick · stand · staff

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. can — a tin
  3. mug — a face
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. mug — a cup
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. stand — to bear
  9. kick — in football
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. staff — a stick
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — crushed
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. staff — employees
  17. mug — to rob
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. ground — the earth
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. staff — employees
  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