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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cold · season · sharp · rush · scale · pop · wave · staff

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. pop — music
  3. staff — a stick
  4. scale — in music
  5. pop — to visit
  6. staff — employees
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. season — in sport
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. staff — employees
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. pop — soda
  14. cold — an illness
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. rush — hurry
  17. season — of the year
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. scale — size or range
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. cold — not warm
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. sharp — clever

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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