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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: sharp · suit · lean · pop · shower · race · wound · pass

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. lean — thin
  4. pass — a permit
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. pop — to visit
  7. suit — to fit
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. shower — to wash
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. shower — rain
  13. sharp — clever
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. pop — music
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. lean — to bend
  18. suit — in cards
  19. wound — an injury
  20. race — the arms race
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — a contest
  24. pop — soda

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