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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: stick · key · track · mate · wind · sharp · lash · bear

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. mate — a friend
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. key — for a lock
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mate — a partner
  13. wind — moving air
  14. sharp — clever
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. key — in music
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. track — a path
  20. track — to keep track
  21. mate — to breed
  22. track — a song
  23. key — the most important part
  24. lash — to lash out

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