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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 120 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: hand · sharp · last · stick · craft · track · staff · arm

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — finally
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. staff — employees
  5. hand — help
  6. track — to keep track
  7. last — final
  8. staff — employees
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. track — a song
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. track — a path
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. staff — a stick
  15. craft — a skill
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. sharp — clever
  23. hand — in cards
  24. craft — boats

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