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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: stick · bank · staff · temple · kick · fan · hand · roll

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. kick — in football
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. staff — a stick
  7. roll — a cake
  8. bank — for money
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. hand — in cards
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bank — for money
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. roll — a list
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. hand — help
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bank — of a river
  24. staff — employees

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