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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: sharp · mate · prune · ball · club · straw · lash · fine

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. fine — all right
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a great time
  6. mate — a friend
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. club — for golf
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. prune — to trim
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. fine — high quality
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. club — a group
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. mate — a partner
  20. club — for dancing
  21. mate — to breed
  22. sharp — clever
  23. prune — to trim
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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