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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: object · saw · sharp · mouse · race · pop · leaves · rush

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. race — a contest
  6. pop — soda
  7. sharp — clever
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pop — music
  10. object — a thing
  11. race — the arms race
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. object — an aim
  15. rush — hurry
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. race — humankind
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. pop — to visit

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