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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. lean — thin
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. staff — a stick
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. staff — employees
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. club — a group
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bass — low music
  13. club — for dancing
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. ball — a dance
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. ball — a great time
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. lean — to bend
  20. snap — to click
  21. staff — employees
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bass — the fish
  24. club — for golf

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