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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: foot · rush · sharp · kid · mug · pass · bowl · wake

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. rush — hurry
  3. mug — a cup
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. mug — a face
  7. pass — a permit
  8. sharp — clever
  9. kid — child
  10. wake — a trail
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. mug — to rob
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. kid — to tease
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. foot — a measure
  24. foot — the bottom

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