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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: plane · stick · pound · key · snap · straw · staff · kick

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. snap — to click
  3. key — in music
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. staff — a stick
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. plane — a tool
  9. staff — employees
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. kick — in football
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. key — for a lock
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. staff — employees
  22. key — the most important part
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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