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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.

Make a worksheet

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: stand · staff · scale · racket · cell · sharp · hand · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. staff — a stick
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. scale — size or range
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — clever
  7. cell — in biology
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cell — a phone
  13. staff — employees
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. hand — in cards
  16. stand — to bear
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. staff — employees
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. scale — in music

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