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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: rock · mine · staff · sharp · nail · lean · firm · present

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. mine — for digging
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. firm — steady
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. present — there
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. present — the time now
  10. rock — music
  11. lean — to bend
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. staff — a stick
  14. sharp — clever
  15. present — a gift
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. firm — decided
  18. staff — employees
  19. rock — a stone
  20. staff — employees
  21. firm — a company
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. mine — belonging to me

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