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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: object · wound · club · wake · squash · wind · sharp · bass

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. club — a group
  3. club — for dancing
  4. wind — moving air
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. object — to protest
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. club — for golf
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — an aim
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wound — an injury
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bass — the fish
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bass — low music
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. sharp — clever
  22. wound — an injury
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. squash — to crush

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