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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: stick · bowl · plane · kick · can · rest · game · kid

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. can — a tin
  4. game — wild animals
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. kick — in football
  13. rest — a break
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. game — a match
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. kid — to tease
  18. rest — what's left
  19. can — a tin
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kid — child
  24. plane — a tool

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