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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: can · ruler · straw · sharp · bound · race · saw · season

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bound — certain
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bound — obliged
  7. season — in sport
  8. sharp — clever
  9. race — a contest
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. race — the arms race
  12. bound — tied together
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. season — of the year
  17. race — humankind
  18. can — a tin
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. saw — the tool
  24. season — to add flavour

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