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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.

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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: mate · chest · sharp · key · object · band · fine · rush

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. mate — to breed
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. object — to protest
  6. band — a music group
  7. mate — a partner
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. object — an aim
  10. rush — hurry
  11. fine — high quality
  12. key — in music
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. object — a thing
  15. chest — of your body
  16. key — the most important part
  17. chest — of your body
  18. band — a ring
  19. mate — a friend
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. key — for a lock
  22. sharp — clever
  23. chest — a box
  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