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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: mouse · snap · scale · shower · roll · wake · suit · sharp

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. scale — size or range
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. suit — in cards
  6. sharp — clever
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. roll — a cake
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. roll — a list
  12. suit — to fit
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. scale — in music
  15. shower — rain
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. snap — to click
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. suit — clothes
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. wake — a trail

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