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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 120 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: lash · key · pound · staff · clip · calf · mate · kick

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. key — in music
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. key — the most important part
  8. mate — to breed
  9. key — for a lock
  10. staff — employees
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. mate — a friend
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. clip — to cut
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. clip — for paper
  17. clip — a video
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. pound — a weight
  20. kick — in football
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mate — a partner
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. calf — a young animal

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