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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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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: sharp · wound · ruler · hide · wave · straw · jam · fall

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. fall — the season
  4. wound — an injury
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. fall — to drop
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. fall — to drop
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wound — an injury
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. sharp — clever
  24. hide — to keep secret

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