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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
468
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: staff · can · lie · nail · roll · cue · stick · kick

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. lie — to recline
  3. can — to be able to
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. roll — a list
  7. cue — a hint
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. cue — for pool
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. cue — a signal
  17. kick — in football
  18. staff — a stick
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. can — a tin
  24. roll — a cake

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