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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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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: plane · sharp · staff · kick · swing · pop · hand · shower

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. pop — soda
  3. kick — in football
  4. staff — employees
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. swing — music
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. pop — music
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. plane — a tool
  11. hand — help
  12. pop — to visit
  13. hand — in cards
  14. swing — to play on
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. shower — rain
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. staff — employees
  19. sharp — clever
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. staff — a stick
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. shower — to wash

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