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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: rash · mate · cue · suit · straw · sharp · stick · saw

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. She's very handy with 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. saw — the tool
  2. mate — to breed
  3. rash — hasty
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — to fit
  7. sharp — clever
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. suit — clothes
  10. mate — a friend
  11. cue — for pool
  12. rash — a series
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. cue — a hint
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. mate — a partner
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. cue — a signal
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. saw — the tool
  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