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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · kick · wind · wake · sharp · staff · lean · file

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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. sharp — exactly
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. lean — to bend
  5. wake — a trail
  6. sharp — clever
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. file — a tool
  13. staff — employees
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — in football
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wind — moving air
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. file — a document
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  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