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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: straw · sharp · fine · arm · charge · pitcher · stick · clip

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. fine — all right
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. charge — a price
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. fine — high quality
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. clip — to cut
  15. clip — a video
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. charge — in control
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. charge — electricity
  22. sharp — clever
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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