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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: bay · date · hide · jam · firm · sharp · wind · staff

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. staff — a stick
  3. sharp — clever
  4. wind — moving air
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. firm — decided
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. firm — a company
  9. staff — employees
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. staff — employees
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. date — the fruit
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. firm — steady
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. wind — moving air
  24. jam — a tight spot

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