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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
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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: stick · mug · staff · fan · shower · net · ball · kick

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. mug — to rob
  4. shower — to wash
  5. staff — employees
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. mug — a face
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. net — after costs
  10. kick — in football
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. staff — employees
  13. ball — a dance
  14. net — for catching
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. ball — a great time
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. net — in sport
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. shower — rain
  24. mug — a cup

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