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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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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: drill · fall · wave · staff · hand · firm · sharp · swing

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. staff — a stick
  4. fall — to drop
  5. firm — steady
  6. sharp — clever
  7. swing — music
  8. drill — a practice
  9. hand — help
  10. drill — army training
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. staff — employees
  13. swing — to play on
  14. drill — the tool
  15. fall — to drop
  16. staff — employees
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. firm — a company
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. fall — the season
  21. hand — in cards
  22. firm — decided
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. sharp — exactly

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