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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 · rest · game · staff · present · mug · jam · calf

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. staff — employees
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mug — a cup
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. present — there
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. game — wild animals
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. rest — a break
  11. mug — a face
  12. present — the time now
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. present — a gift
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. rest — what's left
  19. sharp — clever
  20. staff — a stick
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. staff — employees
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. game — a match

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