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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 120 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — a stick
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. file — a document
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bank — for money
  8. file — a tool
  9. bank — of a river
  10. face — to confront
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bank — for money
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. face — to point toward
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. face — part of the head
  21. staff — employees
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. sharp — clever
  24. file — a line of people

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