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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 124 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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. cold — not warm
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cold — an illness
  8. bass — the fish
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — clever
  11. lean — thin
  12. board — a committee
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. rush — hurry
  16. board — to get on
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. lean — to bend
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bass — low music

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