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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. staff — a stick
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. cue — a hint
  8. mug — a face
  9. kid — child
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. mug — a cup
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — a division
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. mug — to rob
  18. cue — a signal
  19. plane — a tool
  20. sharp — clever
  21. kid — to tease
  22. cue — for pool
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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