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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: staff · lie · track · bound · season · lash · sharp · firm

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. staff — employees
  3. firm — steady
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. firm — decided
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. season — of the year
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bound — obliged
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bound — certain
  13. track — to keep track
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. track — a path
  16. staff — employees
  17. bound — tied together
  18. track — a song
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. season — in sport
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. firm — a company
  23. lie — to recline
  24. staff — a stick

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