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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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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 · kid · hand · rest · patient · stick · staff · mouse

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kid — to tease
  4. staff — employees
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. kid — child
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. kick — in football
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. staff — employees
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — in cards
  24. staff — a stick

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