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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 120 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: key · track · fine · pass · hand · rest · lash · mate

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pass — a permit
  5. key — the most important part
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — in cards
  9. key — for a lock
  10. rest — a break
  11. key — in music
  12. mate — a partner
  13. track — a path
  14. mate — a friend
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. track — to keep track
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. rest — what's left
  20. track — a song
  21. fine — high quality
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. fine — all right

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