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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.

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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — clever
  3. root — of a plant
  4. shower — rain
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. shower — to wash
  9. rash — a series
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. root — of a word
  14. season — of the year
  15. rash — hasty
  16. root — the cause
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. season — in sport
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bass — low music
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bass — the fish
  24. leaves — of a tree

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