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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: temple · kid · board · staff · stand · kick · patient · bowl

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. stand — to bear
  5. board — a committee
  6. kid — to tease
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. kid — child
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. staff — a stick
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. staff — employees
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. staff — employees
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. board — to get on
  24. temple — a place of worship

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