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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wake · present · season · sharp · staff · chest · stick · arm

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  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. season — to add flavour
  2. staff — a stick
  3. chest — a box
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. present — the time now
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. season — of the year
  9. present — a gift
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. chest — of your body
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. wake — a trail
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. present — there
  16. chest — of your body
  17. season — in sport
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. sharp — clever
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — employees

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