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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: can · stand · wind · straw · sharp · mine · pass · game

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. game — a match
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. sharp — clever
  8. can — a tin
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — wild animals
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. wind — moving air
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. mine — for digging
  18. stand — to bear
  19. pass — a permit
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. wind — moving air
  23. can — to be able to
  24. straw — a straw man

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