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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 116 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: straw · mug · suit · object · can · sharp · cold · last

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — clever
  4. mug — to rob
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. last — finally
  7. can — to be able to
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. cold — not warm
  10. object — a thing
  11. suit — to fit
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. can — a tin
  14. last — to go on
  15. object — an aim
  16. cold — an illness
  17. can — a tin
  18. suit — in cards
  19. object — to protest
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. last — final
  22. suit — clothes
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. mug — a cup

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