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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: staff · object · dip · straw · bore · present · date · sharp

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. staff — employees
  5. sharp — clever
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. present — the time now
  9. bore — to tire
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. present — a gift
  12. bore — to drill
  13. staff — employees
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. staff — a stick
  16. present — there
  17. object — to protest
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — an aim
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. date — the fruit

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