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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: sharp · date · ruler · staff · pit · band · present · lie

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. sharp — clever
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. staff — a stick
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. present — a gift
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. lie — to recline
  12. staff — employees
  13. present — the time now
  14. pit — in a race
  15. band — a ring
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. date — the fruit
  22. present — there
  23. pit — a hole
  24. date — on the calendar

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