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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: pound · bound · straw · craft · sharp · rule · tube · suit

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. tube — a container
  4. bound — certain
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. suit — in cards
  7. bound — tied together
  8. rule — a law
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — clothes
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. tube — the underground
  18. rule — government
  19. pound — a weight
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — boats
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bound — obliged
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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