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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: mug · sharp · rock · roll · wake · cabinet · mine · lash

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. sharp — clever
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mug — a face
  10. rock — a stone
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. mine — for digging
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. roll — a list
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. rock — music
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. wake — a trail
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. mug — to rob
  24. sharp — with an edge

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