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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bank — for money
  5. bulb — for light
  6. sharp — clever
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bank — for money
  11. shower — rain
  12. bank — of a river
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bulb — for light
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. squash — the sport
  17. rush — hurry
  18. shower — to wash
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bowl — to roll

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