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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: staff · deal · sharp · track · ruler · bank · mate · spring

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. track — a song
  4. bank — for money
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. spring — of water
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a path
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. mate — a partner
  12. bank — of a river
  13. deal — to handle
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. mate — to breed
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. staff — a stick
  20. mate — a friend
  21. spring — a coil
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bank — for money
  24. sharp — clever

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