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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: march · hand · fine · sharp · stand · staff · lie · jam

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. sharp — clever
  3. staff — employees
  4. hand — in cards
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. stand — to bear
  7. hand — help
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. march — music
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. march — the month
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. staff — employees
  24. march — the month

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