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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: bass · present · hide · sharp · saw · lean · staff · net

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. staff — employees
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — in sport
  5. lean — to bend
  6. net — for catching
  7. bass — the fish
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bass — low music
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. saw — the tool
  16. present — there
  17. lean — thin
  18. staff — a stick
  19. saw — the tool
  20. sharp — clever
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. present — the time now
  24. staff — employees

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