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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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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: sharp · arm · saw · bulb · straw · shower · ground · ruler

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bulb — for light
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. ground — crushed
  6. saw — the tool
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bulb — for light
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ground — a position
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. saw — the tool
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. ruler — a monarch

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