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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. staff — employees
  4. rest — what's left
  5. club — for golf
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. staff — employees
  9. club — for dancing
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of a king
  15. club — a group
  16. court — of law
  17. staff — a stick
  18. sharp — clever

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