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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.

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: clip · sharp · lash · jam · tear · pass · fine · track

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. pass — a permit
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. tear — from crying
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. sharp — clever
  8. tear — from crying
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. clip — for paper
  14. tear — to rip
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. track — a song
  17. clip — a video
  18. fine — high quality
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. clip — to cut
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a path

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