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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: sharp · staff · kid · lie · toast · pitcher · date · rock

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. toast — bread
  3. lie — to recline
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. kid — child
  8. staff — employees
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. date — the fruit
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. kid — to tease
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. staff — a stick
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. rock — music
  23. staff — employees
  24. rock — a stone

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