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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · object · game · kid · nail · straw · sharp · stick

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. object — to protest
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. game — a match
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. object — an aim
  10. game — wild animals
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. mug — to rob
  13. kid — child
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. mug — a face
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. kid — to tease
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. object — a thing
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  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