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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: craft · lean · game · kick · firm · key · kid · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. firm — decided
  3. craft — a skill
  4. kid — child
  5. craft — boats
  6. kick — in football
  7. key — for a lock
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. firm — steady
  10. key — the most important part
  11. firm — a company
  12. lean — to bend
  13. game — wild animals
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. lean — thin
  16. game — a match
  17. kid — to tease
  18. object — to protest
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. object — a thing
  22. key — in music
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. lean — to rest against

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