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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: key · rest · sharp · straw · hide · mark · saw · band

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. saw — the tool
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. mark — a trace
  6. sharp — clever
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. key — for a lock
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rest — a break
  12. mark — a grade
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a ring
  16. saw — the tool
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. key — in music
  21. band — a music group
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. key — the most important part
  24. hide — animal skin

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