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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 · staff · pit · wake · lie · band · patient · club

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. band — a ring
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. sharp — clever
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. club — a group
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. club — for golf
  12. lie — to recline
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. pit — in a race
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wake — a trail
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. club — for dancing
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. band — a music group
  23. staff — employees
  24. pit — a hole

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