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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: mouse · mine · bat · rash · sharp · wake · pass · squash

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bat — the animal
  4. rash — hasty
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. rash — a series
  9. squash — the sport
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. squash — to crush
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. sharp — clever
  17. pass — a permit
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mouse — the animal

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