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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
468
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: kick · snap · fine · lean · ground · bass · mouse · sharp

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bass — the fish
  4. lean — thin
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to click
  7. sharp — clever
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — to bend
  15. fine — all right
  16. ground — a position
  17. bass — low music
  18. kick — in football
  19. ground — the earth
  20. fine — high quality
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. ground — crushed

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