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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 · board · staff · bear · firm · row · snap · stick

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. snap — to click
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. kick — in football
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. row — to paddle
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. staff — a stick
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — to get on
  17. firm — decided
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — employees
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — a company
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. kick — with a leg

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