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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 120 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: row · mark · sharp · pop · stand · rash · straw · rule

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. rule — a law
  3. mark — a grade
  4. row — a line
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. sharp — clever
  8. rash — hasty
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. pop — soda
  11. rash — a series
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. rule — government
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. pop — to visit
  20. mark — a trace
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. pop — music
  23. row — to paddle
  24. rule — to rule out

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