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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: bat · sharp · wake · pass · key · nail · lash · bound

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bound — certain
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bound — obliged
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. wake — a trail
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. key — in music
  18. bound — tied together
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — a permit
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. sharp — with an edge

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