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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: spell · last · sharp · bank · ground · wound · fine · staff

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. last — to go on
  3. wound — an injury
  4. staff — employees
  5. spell — a short time
  6. sharp — clever
  7. wound — an injury
  8. spell — letters
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. staff — employees
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bank — for money
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bank — of a river
  15. last — finally
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bank — for money
  18. fine — all right
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. staff — a stick
  21. ground — a position
  22. last — final
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. spell — magic

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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