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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
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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: last · sharp · hand · season · mouse · staff · wave · content

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  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. hand — part of the body
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. content — the amount
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. hand — in cards
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. last — finally
  13. last — final
  14. staff — a stick
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. staff — employees
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. hand — help
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. last — to go on
  22. sharp — clever
  23. content — happy
  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