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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: mug · straw · sharp · land · fine · rest · rush · row

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rest — a break
  4. mug — a cup
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. fine — all right
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. land — to come down
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rest — what's left
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. row — to paddle
  15. mug — to rob
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rest — what's left
  19. sharp — clever
  20. mug — a face
  21. land — ground
  22. row — a line
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. land — a country

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