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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.

Make a worksheet

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: sharp · straw · object · game · cold · content · arm · suit

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — clothes
  3. object — a thing
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. sharp — clever
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. suit — in cards
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. object — an aim
  19. cold — an illness
  20. object — to protest
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. content — happy
  24. game — a match

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