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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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. hand — in cards
  4. hand — help
  5. mug — a face
  6. firm — steady
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. sharp — clever
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. row — to paddle
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. row — a line
  14. rush — hurry
  15. mug — a cup
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. firm — a company
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. firm — decided
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. mug — to rob

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