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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. suit — in cards
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. suit — to fit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bass — the fish
  11. race — a contest
  12. suit — clothes
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. race — the arms race
  15. hand — help
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bass — low music
  20. wake — a trail
  21. hand — in cards
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. race — humankind
  24. wake — before a funeral

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