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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.

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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: key · rush · calf · last · swing · sharp · mouse · fan

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. swing — music
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. key — for a lock
  8. last — finally
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — final
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. swing — to play on
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. rush — hurry
  18. key — in music
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. swing — in golf
  21. key — the most important part
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. sharp — clever

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