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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.

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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 · bay · staff · pass · fall · mouse · kid · fan

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. staff — employees
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. pass — a permit
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. staff — employees
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fall — the season
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. kid — to tease
  22. kid — child
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. pass — to spend time

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