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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. lean — thin
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bass — low music
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. lean — to bend
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bass — the fish
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. wave — with your hand

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