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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: kid · saw · pound · staff · cap · key · kick · bulb

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. staff — employees
  3. kid — child
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. kid — to tease
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. bulb — for light
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — a hat
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — in music
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pound — a weight
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. saw — the tool
  21. key — for a lock
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. kick — in football
  24. cap — of ice

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