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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.

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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. spell — magic
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rush — hurry
  5. spell — letters
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. squash — to crush
  8. wake — a trail
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. can — a tin
  13. bank — of a river
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bank — for money
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bank — for money
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. spell — a short time
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. sharp — with an edge

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