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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 116 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: staff · dip · wound · chair · squash · mouse · content · sharp

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. sharp — clever
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chair — a leader
  6. squash — to crush
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. content — happy
  11. wound — an injury
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. content — the amount
  16. staff — employees
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wound — an injury
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. squash — the sport
  24. dip — to sink

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