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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 · staff · drill · calf · swing · rush · mouse · straw

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. swing — to play on
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — clever
  10. drill — the tool
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. swing — in golf
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. staff — employees
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. drill — army training
  18. staff — employees
  19. swing — music
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. drill — a practice
  24. rush — hurry

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