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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 124 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: sharp · mate · straw · squash · last · lean · wave · arm

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. squash — to crush
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. sharp — clever
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. squash — the sport
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. lean — thin
  11. mate — a partner
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. lean — to bend
  16. mate — to breed
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. mate — a friend
  19. last — final
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — finally
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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