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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: lean · mug · temple · bound · kid · staff · rest · kick

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. staff — a stick
  5. mug — to rob
  6. staff — employees
  7. lean — to bend
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — to tease
  12. mug — a face
  13. bound — obliged
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. lean — thin
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bound — tied together
  19. kick — in football
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bound — certain
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. staff — employees
  24. mug — a cup

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