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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 116 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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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 · can · bulb · staff · land · board · spell · rest

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. staff — employees
  3. kick — in football
  4. land — to come down
  5. rest — what's left
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. board — a committee
  9. rest — a break
  10. board — to get on
  11. bulb — for light
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. spell — letters
  14. staff — employees
  15. land — ground
  16. bulb — for light
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — a short time
  19. can — a tin
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. staff — a stick
  22. can — to be able to
  23. rest — what's left
  24. land — a country

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