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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.

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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: pop · sharp · face · jam · ruler · straw · stick · firm

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. firm — steady
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. pop — music
  7. firm — decided
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. face — to confront
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. face — to point toward
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pop — to visit
  17. firm — a company
  18. face — part of the head
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. pop — soda
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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