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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 116 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: present · key · wake · stick · lean · face · sharp · rush

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. face — to confront
  3. key — in music
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. lean — to bend
  8. present — there
  9. lean — thin
  10. rush — hurry
  11. wake — a trail
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. face — part of the head
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. key — for a lock
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. face — to point toward
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — the time now
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. key — the most important part

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