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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 120 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: race · wake · sharp · snap · ruler · mouse · rush · shower

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — clever
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. shower — rain
  5. race — humankind
  6. wake — a trail
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. race — the arms race
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. snap — to click
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. shower — to wash
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. race — a contest

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