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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: kick · mate · straw · firm · charge · key · board · staff

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. kick — in football
  4. charge — in control
  5. firm — a company
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — steady
  9. staff — a stick
  10. key — the most important part
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. mate — a partner
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. charge — electricity
  15. mate — to breed
  16. charge — a price
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. mate — a friend
  20. key — for a lock
  21. board — to get on
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. key — in music
  24. board — a committee

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