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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. sharp — clever
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. last — finally
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. rock — a stone
  17. wake — a trail
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. rash — a series
  20. rock — music
  21. last — to go on
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. last — final

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