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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. squash — the sport
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. sharp — clever
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. shower — to wash
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. wake — a trail
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. squash — to crush
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. shower — rain
  23. bass — low music
  24. rush — hurry

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