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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — a series
  5. chest — of your body
  6. club — for golf
  7. sharp — clever
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. chest — a box
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. club — a group
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a great time
  19. club — for dancing
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bowl — a dish

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