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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.

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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: straw · stick · mug · hand · fine · suit · face · rash

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. rash — hasty
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rash — a series
  6. suit — clothes
  7. face — part of the head
  8. mug — a cup
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mug — a face
  11. face — to confront
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. face — to point toward
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — help
  16. fine — all right
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. suit — in cards
  21. mug — to rob
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. suit — to fit
  24. fine — high quality

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