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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bore — to tire
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. wake — a trail
  5. staff — employees
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — low music
  11. last — finally
  12. staff — a stick
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bulb — for light
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bulb — for light
  17. last — to go on
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. staff — employees
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. last — final
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — gave birth

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