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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: sharp · rush · degree · rock · staff · lash · wave · cue

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. rock — music
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. cue — a hint
  5. staff — employees
  6. cue — a signal
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. degree — an amount
  9. rush — hurry
  10. staff — a stick
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. staff — employees
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. cue — for pool
  17. degree — temperature
  18. rock — a stone
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. sharp — clever
  22. degree — from a university
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. lash — an eyelash

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