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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: wind · hide · mate · key · cap · hand · sharp · fine

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. key — for a lock
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mate — to breed
  7. key — in music
  8. cap — a hat
  9. mate — a partner
  10. hand — help
  11. key — the most important part
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — high quality
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. cap — of ice
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. hand — in cards
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wind — moving air
  21. mate — a friend
  22. sharp — clever
  23. cap — a lid
  24. sharp — with an edge

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