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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cabinet · sharp · lie · arm · mate · staff · rest · squash

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. staff — a stick
  5. mate — a friend
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. squash — the sport
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. staff — employees
  14. rest — a break
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. staff — employees
  18. sharp — clever
  19. rest — what's left
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — to breed
  22. squash — to crush
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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