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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: track · straw · sharp · rock · object · last · mine · cabinet

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. rock — a stone
  3. object — a thing
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — clever
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. object — an aim
  12. last — finally
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. last — to go on
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. track — to keep track
  20. last — final
  21. track — a song
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — for digging
  24. track — a path

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