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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: bank · charge · pass · field · sharp · key · lash · stem

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. key — in music
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bank — for money
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. field — a subject
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. key — the most important part
  12. stem — to come from
  13. field — farmland
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bank — of a river
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bank — for money
  20. pass — a permit
  21. field — for sport
  22. key — for a lock
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. charge — in control

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