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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. firm — a company
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. firm — decided
  6. key — the most important part
  7. hand — in cards
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. staff — employees
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. hand — help
  13. stand — to bear
  14. firm — steady
  15. stem — to come from
  16. staff — employees
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. key — in music
  20. sharp — clever
  21. staff — a stick
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. key — for a lock
  24. branch — a division

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