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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · bowl · hide · arm · staff · nail · bat · degree

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. degree — an amount
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. staff — employees
  12. bat — the animal
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. degree — from a university
  17. staff — a stick
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. degree — temperature
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. nail — for a hammer

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