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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: rest · pound · sharp · straw · fork · wake · ruler · jam

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. sharp — clever
  3. wake — a trail
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fork — in a road
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. rest — what's left
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. pound — a weight

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