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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: rest · wake · file · branch · sharp · staff · arm · kick

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. branch — a division
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. file — a line of people
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. rest — what's left
  12. kick — in football
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. file — a document
  16. sharp — clever
  17. file — a tool
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. rest — a break
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. rest — what's left

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