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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: rush · sharp · cabinet · stem · band · straw · saw · snap

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — clever
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. stem — to come from
  12. band — a music group
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. rush — hurry
  18. snap — to click
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. band — a ring
  24. straw — dry grass

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