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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: nail · staff · bat · bank · charge · bowl · sharp · kid

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. charge — electricity
  8. staff — employees
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. charge — a price
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. charge — in control
  16. staff — a stick
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bat — the animal
  20. kid — child
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. kid — to tease
  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