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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: stick · bound · kick · present · ruler · staff · kid · content

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. staff — employees
  3. bound — certain
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. content — the amount
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. present — a gift
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bound — obliged
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. staff — a stick
  14. present — there
  15. content — happy
  16. present — the time now
  17. kick — in football
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. bound — tied together
  21. staff — employees
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. kid — child
  24. ruler — for measuring

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