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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.

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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: track · sharp · fine · lie · mine · pass · hand · arm

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. lie — to recline
  3. hand — help
  4. track — a song
  5. fine — all right
  6. sharp — clever
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. hand — in cards
  15. pass — a permit
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. fine — high quality
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. track — a path
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. track — to keep track

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