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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: dip · sharp · bear · rush · race · wake · charge · mouse

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wake — a trail
  5. race — a contest
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. charge — in control
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. dip — to sink
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. charge — a price
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bear — the animal
  17. race — the arms race
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. charge — electricity
  20. race — humankind
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. sharp — with an edge

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