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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. sharp — clever
  3. firm — decided
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. drill — the tool
  10. firm — steady
  11. wake — a trail
  12. fine — all right
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — high quality
  16. squash — to crush
  17. drill — a practice
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. firm — a company
  21. dip — to sink
  22. drill — army training
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. sharp — exactly

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