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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.

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 · ball · stick · current · squash · sharp · object · rule

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. current — happening now
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. rule — government
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. current — electric
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. squash — the sport
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — to protest
  14. rule — a law
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. current — of water
  18. sharp — clever
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a great time
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. object — a thing

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