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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: ball · sharp · pass · mug · rush · prune · lean · race

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. pass — a permit
  3. race — a contest
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. lean — to bend
  6. race — the arms race
  7. mug — a cup
  8. ball — a great time
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mug — a face
  13. rush — hurry
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. mug — to rob
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — clever
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. race — humankind
  23. lean — thin
  24. rush — to hurry

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