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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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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: staff · ground · stand · sharp · rest · craft · lie · mark

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. mark — a grade
  3. sharp — clever
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. craft — boats
  7. ground — crushed
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. stand — to bear
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. ground — a position
  18. staff — employees
  19. ground — the earth
  20. rest — what's left
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. lie — to recline

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