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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 120 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 · can · object · fine · sharp · squash · wound · mug

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. fine — high quality
  3. wound — an injury
  4. object — to protest
  5. wound — an injury
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. sharp — clever
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. squash — to crush
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. mug — a face
  13. can — a tin
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. squash — the sport
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. mug — a cup
  21. fine — all right
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — a thing
  24. squash — the vegetable

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