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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.

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: wake · mouse · sharp · key · shower · bass · kick · club

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bass — low music
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. key — the most important part
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. club — for golf
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. key — for a lock
  15. wake — a trail
  16. club — a group
  17. key — in music
  18. shower — rain
  19. bass — the fish
  20. shower — to wash
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. kick — in football

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