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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. date — the fruit
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. firm — a company
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. squash — the sport
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. mark — a grade
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. squash — to crush
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — decided

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