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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: sharp · chest · dip · ground · foot · mate · staff · nail

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. foot — a measure
  5. ground — the earth
  6. chest — of your body
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. chest — a box
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. ground — crushed
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a friend
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. chest — of your body
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. ground — a position
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. dip — to sink
  22. sharp — clever
  23. mate — a partner
  24. staff — employees

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