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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  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. sharp — with an edge
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. squash — the sport
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. key — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. wake — a trail
  12. vault — a safe
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. sharp — clever
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. key — for a lock
  21. date — the fruit
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. squash — to crush
  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