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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.

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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: firm · clip · pop · kid · kick · can · bound · fan

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. firm — decided
  5. can — a tin
  6. kid — to tease
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. firm — steady
  9. can — a tin
  10. clip — a video
  11. bound — obliged
  12. clip — to cut
  13. firm — a company
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. kid — child
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — music
  19. bound — certain
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pop — to visit
  22. clip — for paper
  23. kick — in football
  24. bound — tied together

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