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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: pound · cabinet · stick · bowl · kick · lean · staff · nail

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — to bend
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. staff — employees
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. kick — in football
  14. staff — a stick
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pound — a weight
  18. staff — employees
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. lean — thin

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