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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: suit · rush · straw · sharp · cold · shower · lash · bowl

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. cold — not warm
  3. rush — hurry
  4. sharp — clever
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. suit — in cards
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. cold — an illness
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. shower — rain
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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