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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bank — for money
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bank — for money
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ball — a dance
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bank — of a river
  13. wake — a trail
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. ground — a position
  16. can — to be able to
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. ground — the earth
  19. squash — the sport
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. ball — a great time
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. lash — an eyelash

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