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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. sharp — clever
  5. hand — in cards
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rash — hasty
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. rush — hurry
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a great time
  14. rash — a series
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. hand — help
  18. snap — to click
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. wake — a trail
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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