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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: leaves · sharp · ruler · staff · rush · lie · board · clip

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. lie — to recline
  5. clip — for paper
  6. staff — employees
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. board — a committee
  11. staff — employees
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rush — hurry
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. clip — to cut
  18. sharp — clever
  19. board — to get on
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. staff — a stick
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. clip — a video

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