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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: leaves · sharp · track · tear · bass · cabinet · staff · hand

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. staff — employees
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bass — low music
  7. track — a path
  8. sharp — clever
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. track — to keep track
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. track — a song
  13. bass — the fish
  14. staff — employees
  15. hand — help
  16. tear — from crying
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. tear — to rip
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. tear — from crying
  24. staff — a stick

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