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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.

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: hand · wind · game · bulb · rock · leaves · staff · kick

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. kick — in football
  3. rock — music
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. game — a match
  7. hand — in cards
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. staff — a stick
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. staff — employees
  14. bulb — for light
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. wind — moving air
  18. hand — help
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. staff — employees
  24. leaves — lets stay

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