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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: snap · drill · sharp · bank · wake · cue · mouse · rush

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — a practice
  3. bank — for money
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. wake — a trail
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. cue — for pool
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. sharp — clever
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. drill — army training
  15. snap — to click
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — a signal
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. rush — hurry
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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