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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: firm · staff · fine · dip · sharp · cell · last · lean

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. dip — to sink
  3. firm — decided
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. last — final
  6. cell — in biology
  7. fine — high quality
  8. staff — employees
  9. lean — thin
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — finally
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. firm — steady
  19. cell — a phone
  20. lean — to bend
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. sharp — clever
  24. firm — a company

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