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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 · nail · staff · fine · mark · last · mouse · can

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. staff — a stick
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. staff — employees
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. can — a tin
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. sharp — clever
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. last — to go on
  14. can — a tin
  15. fine — all right
  16. can — to be able to
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. last — final
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. mark — a grade
  22. fine — high quality
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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