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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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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: sharp · snap · fork · lie · staff · bear · ground · band

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. staff — a stick
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. ground — crushed
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fork — in a road
  7. staff — employees
  8. snap — to click
  9. sharp — clever
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. band — a ring
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. ground — a position
  19. band — a music group
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. lie — to recline
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. sharp — with an edge
  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