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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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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: face · kick · drill · rule · kid · pitcher · tube · staff

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. kick — in football
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. face — part of the head
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — the tool
  8. face — to point toward
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. rule — government
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. staff — employees
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. tube — a container
  17. rule — a law
  18. drill — army training
  19. tube — the underground
  20. staff — a stick
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. face — to confront
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — to tease

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