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

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. club — for golf
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. roll — a cake
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. sharp — clever
  7. staff — a stick
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. roll — a list
  10. staff — employees
  11. last — to go on
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. club — for dancing
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. staff — employees
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. last — final
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. club — a group
  24. last — finally

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