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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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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: staff · shower · lie · arm · kick · mug · object · fan

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mug — a cup
  5. staff — a stick
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. kick — in football
  9. mug — a face
  10. object — to protest
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. shower — rain
  13. staff — employees
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. object — an aim
  16. shower — to wash
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. staff — employees
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mug — to rob

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