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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: season · roll · mine · fine · lash · key · sharp · suit

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. roll — a cake
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. suit — to fit
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — in music
  7. sharp — clever
  8. roll — a list
  9. fine — all right
  10. suit — clothes
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — in sport
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — for digging
  20. suit — in cards
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. key — the most important part

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