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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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 · pit · degree · lean · mine · band · key · lash

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. key — for a lock
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. sharp — clever
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. key — in music
  8. band — a music group
  9. degree — an amount
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. key — the most important part
  12. pit — in a race
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. degree — temperature
  15. lean — to bend
  16. mine — for digging
  17. degree — from a university
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lean — thin
  24. band — a ring

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