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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kick · land · hide · ball · kid · fine · staff · can

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. staff — employees
  3. kid — to tease
  4. fine — all right
  5. can — to be able to
  6. land — to come down
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. staff — employees
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. land — a country
  13. land — ground
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. kick — in football
  17. kid — child
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a dance
  21. fine — high quality
  22. staff — a stick
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. ball — a round shape

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