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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 116 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: ground · rush · sharp · mate · spell · bat · rash · can

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. ground — the earth
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. spell — letters
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. sharp — clever
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rash — a series
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — magic
  11. mate — a partner
  12. bat — the animal
  13. ground — crushed
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. mate — a friend
  20. ground — a position
  21. rash — hasty
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. rush — hurry

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