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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.

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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: fork · cabinet · straw · hand · row · sharp · lean · firm

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. row — to paddle
  3. firm — a company
  4. row — a line
  5. firm — steady
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. hand — in cards
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. sharp — clever
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. lean — thin
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. lean — to bend
  21. hand — help
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. firm — decided

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