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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: last · rush · band · hide · cell · lash · pass · sharp

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. last — to go on
  5. band — a music group
  6. pass — a permit
  7. band — a ring
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. last — finally
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rush — hurry
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. sharp — clever
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. last — final
  24. rush — to hurry

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