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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: bay · kick · stick · foot · fan · stand · staff · game

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. game — a match
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. foot — a measure
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. staff — employees
  14. kick — in football
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — wild animals
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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