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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.

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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: toast · staff · bear · wave · face · stick · sharp · spell

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  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. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — clever
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — a stick
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — magic
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bear — the animal
  11. toast — bread
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. spell — letters
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bear — the animal
  21. face — to confront
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. face — part of the head
  24. staff — employees

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