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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: key · jam · face · sharp · drill · rush · mate · stand

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. key — the most important part
  3. mate — to breed
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. rush — hurry
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. key — in music
  9. drill — army training
  10. key — for a lock
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. sharp — clever
  14. face — to confront
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. stand — to bear
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — a partner
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. drill — a practice
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — part of the head
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. drill — the tool

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