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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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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 · arm · wake · wave · sharp · mate · race · firm

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. firm — steady
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — humankind
  11. wake — a trail
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — to breed
  14. firm — a company
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. sharp — clever
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. firm — decided
  20. race — a contest
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. wake — before a funeral

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