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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wake — a trail
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — help
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hand — in cards
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. rash — a series
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — hasty
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. sharp — clever
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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