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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: sharp · pass · track · hide · press · lash · wind · staff

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. pass — a permit
  5. track — a path
  6. press — a publisher
  7. wind — moving air
  8. staff — a stick
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. staff — employees
  11. press — to push
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. sharp — clever
  15. wind — moving air
  16. staff — employees
  17. track — a song
  18. track — to keep track
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. press — newspapers
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. lash — to lash out

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