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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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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 · bat · stand · kick · branch · key · temple · staff

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stand — to bear
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. key — in music
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. branch — a division
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. staff — employees
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. staff — a stick
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. key — the most important part
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bat — the animal
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. key — for a lock
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. kick — in football

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